


Haunting Past

by TheWhiteOwl



Series: The Warbler [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: Bodyguard, M/M, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2018-11-19 19:39:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 146,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11320278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWhiteOwl/pseuds/TheWhiteOwl
Summary: Sequel to The Warbler, set eight years after the first part. Kurt is one of the most successful actors in Los Angeles whose name everyone knows, Blaine's band is more popular than ever and so is his company, and they are still so in love. Nothing can ruin their happiness, not even their now teenager son who just escaped his gilded cage and seemingly tries to cause them as much trouble as possible. But when an old enemy from Blaine's past comes back to haunt him and his family, they have to realize that Danny's shocking new hair color or weird friends are not everything they have to worry about.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> This is the sequel to my story The Warbler. I hope you like it.

"It's good to finally meet you in person, Mr Smith. Or should I call you by your real name, Mr Callahan?"

Kurt smiled and pressed the chocolate bar he held in his hand to Blaine's back.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment" he said.

"I could tell you the same" Blaine said as he turned around. "So what now?"

"Let's start by telling me where the diamond is" Kurt replied. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Blaine said.

"Don't mess with me" Kurt said. "I've been following you around. I know you have it."

"In that case..." Blaine took a step forward towards Kurt. "Why don't you tell me where I keep it?"

"Okay, stop" Danny sighed. "You're awful."

"Why? I think it was a lot better this time" Kurt frowned.

"First of all, you hate this guy. He killed your partner, so don't look at him like you want to kiss him" Danny said. "And couldn't you get something that looks like a real gun? That chocolate bar is ridiculous."

"I think it was great" Blaine said. "Besides, I don't think people would be too happy if we walked around with a real gun. We are on holiday, if you forgot."

"Come on, everyone knows that you own a gun and we could tell them that it's just a toy... you know, to help Kurt get ready for his role" Danny said.

"No" Kurt said seriously. "Especially if you're around."

"Why?" Danny asked.

"Because we are still on holiday and I don't want you to get into trouble again" Kurt explained.

"That was an accident" Danny said, blushing.

"Uhum. I won't let you go near a gun until you turn 21. Or 30. Depends on your behaviour" Kurt said.

"What's wrong with my behaviour?" Danny frowned.

"Do I really have to remind you?" Kurt asked.

Danny rolled his eyes as he leaned his head back against the wall. He didn't understand why Kurt and Blaine were so worried that he would cause trouble. Okay, sometimes it happened but hey, he was 15, when should he turn crazy if not now?

"It was an accident" Danny muttered again.

"Okay, guys. I don't know what you think but I'm so hungry" Blaine said. "Don't we want to grab a snack and go back to our room?"

"You said that you would train with me, too" Danny said.

"Oh, you're right" Blaine nodded. "Sorry, I completely forgot about it."

"It's not the first time" Danny muttered.

"Come on, show me what you can" Blaine said as he raised his arms in front of him, ready for the fight.

"Just be careful" Kurt said in worry.

"Oh, don't worry. I will just kick his ass" Danny smirked.

"You think so?" Blaine challenged.

"I know I will" Danny said confidently.

Kurt shook his head as he stepped back to give the others enough space. Ever since he had been little and had gotten his first self-defence lessons from Blaine, Danny loved martial arts. He was pretty good, Kurt had to admit that, even if he wasn't really okay with the fact that Danny could beat up someone. It wasn't like Danny was a violent person, not at all, but he was about to start his new school year in a public school, for the first time in his life, and Kurt was worried that he would get into trouble. He knew what high school was like but Danny had no idea how kids acted, all his experience came from those fine private schools he had attended so far, and kids there were so different. Blaine could talk about that a lot. Kurt was worried that Danny wouldn't be able to handle the new situation and end up in a fight one day. That was one of his strongest reasons why he hadn't wanted him to transfer schools but Danny was so stubborn and in the end, Kurt let him make the decision alone, believing that it was the best. Danny wasn't a little kid anymore, he knew what he wanted.

He watched as Danny took slow steps towards Blaine, ready to strike. Blaine smiled as the boy approached him, raising his arms in front of himself defensively.

"Are you gonna show me something?" Blaine challenged.

Danny waited another second before he jumped forward, trying to punch Blaine but the man got out of his way easily.

"You have to be a little faster if you want to hit me" Blaine said.

Kurt sighed and shook his head. Sometimes it was hard with these two, especially when they played this game. He knew how it would end, of course. Danny was a good fighter but nowhere as good as Blaine. It didn't mean he stopped trying, though. The boy, just like he expected, ran forward again and when Blaine jumped away from him, he tried to kick Blaine. The man smiled as he caught Danny's ankle and slamming his hand into the boy's chest, he sent him down onto the mattress.

"Not bad but you have to use your head, too" Blaine said and reached out to help Danny get back to his feet. "Learn from your opponent's movements. Try to find their weakness."

"Do you have a weakness?" Danny asked as he stood up with Blaine's help.

"I do" Blaine nodded.

"And what is it?" Danny asked.

"You have to find out on your own" Blaine smirked.

"How am I supposed to learn when all you do is beat me up?" Danny asked.

"I show you what you do wrong. Big difference" Blaine said.

Danny sighed. He wasn't patient enough for this. He wanted to learn everything and preferably as soon as possible. He didn't want to wait.

"Come on, guys, let's go back to our room" Kurt said. "We still have about an hour until dinner."

"Just an hour?" Danny asked with wide eyes. "Damn, I have to do something with my hair."

Kurt opened his mouth to reply but before he could say anything, Danny rushed out of the training room and up the stairs, leaving the adults behind.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Kurt muttered.

"You don't know?" Blaine smiled.

"Know what?" Kurt frowned.

"I will show you" Blaine said and put an arm around Kurt as they walked to the stairs.

~ o ~

"What's her name?" Blaine asked later that evening as they were waiting for their food in the restaurant.

Danny was unusually quiet since they had arrived. He kept looking at something and when Kurt turned his head to figure out what it was, he smirked. It was a blond girl, about Danny's age.

"I don't know" Danny answered.

"You should talk to her" Blaine said.

"I-I'm not sure" Danny said quietly.

"The first one is always hard" Kurt sighed.

"The first what?" Danny frowned.

"Nothing" Kurt smiled. "Go, talk to her. Introduce yourself and ask her if she would like to go with you to that karaoke party."

"I thought I couldn't go" Dany said slowly.

"I changed my mind" Kurt shrugged. "Go."

Danny smiled and without any other word, he got up and and almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to go to the girl.

"Slowly" Blaine said, rubbing his eyes. "Don't be so nervous. It's just a girl."

Danny nodded and took a deep breath before taking the first step towards the girl. Kurt and Blaine watched as he walked to the girl and tapped her shoulder. The girl turned around and smiled at Danny who seemed like he could pass out in any second.

"He will screw up" Blaine shook his head.

"He won't" Kurt said, elbowing his boyfriend. "He's doing great."

They sat in silence for a while, watching the two teenagers. 

"I can't believe he will start dating soon" Kurt said.

"It will be horrible" Blaine groaned.

"Why? First love is always so beautiful" Kurt said dreamily.

"He won't come home for curfew. He will sneak out in the middle of the night. Oh, and I think we should get him condoms" Blaine said.

Kurt looked at him in horror.

"You don't think that he will..."

"No. I know he will" Blaine interrupted. "Should I talk to him about sex or do you want to do it?"

"He's just 15!" Kurt gasped.

"And we both know what teenagers are like" Blaine replied.

Kurt sighed heavily. The idea of Danny dating someone didn't seem so great anymore.

"I can't believe he grew up so fast" he said quietly.

"Yeah. One day he was planning his wedding with... What was her name? Mandy? And now he's interested in real girls. Time passes so quickly" Blaine said.

"I will be a grandpa soon" Kurt said with wide eyes.

Blaine suppressed a laugh as he grabbed Kurt's hand.

"I don't think we have to worry about it anytime soon" he said.

Danny turned away from the girl and ran back to the men.

"She said yes!" he said excitedly.

"That's... great" Kurt said slowly.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked, knowing this look very well.

"Nothing" Kurt said hastily. "We just talked about that karaoke night. Maybe we should join you."

"No way" Danny said.

"Why not?" Kurt asked.

"Because I can't go with my parents. What would the others think?" Danny asked.

"That you have two hot, young dads?" Blaine offered.

Danny rolled his eyes.

"Fine" Kurt sighed. "But don't do anything stupid and be back at 9."

"Kurt, I'm 15 and not 5" Danny reminded him. "What about midnight?"

"10 and it's my last offer" Kurt said seriously. "You should take it."

"Fine" Danny nodded.

"Very good. Now let's eat, I'm starving" Kurt said.

"Just a second" Danny said and grabbed his phone from his pocket. Kurt rubbed his eyes tiredly as he made a photo of his dinner before even touching it.

"You won't post it too, right?" Kurt asked.

"Of course I will" Danny said and got up from his seat to walk behind Kurt.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"Our holiday is almost over and we don't have a photo together" Danny explained. "Look into the camera and smile. You don't want to look bad on the photo, right?"

Kurt did his best but his smile disappeared as soon as the phone was pulled away from his face.

"I guess you will post it, too" Kurt said. It wasn't like he was completely against Internet but what Danny and the other kids at his age did was insane. They practically shared their whole lives with everyone.

"Just one photo on my Facebook, I swear" Danny promised.

"You know how dangerous social media can be, right?" Blaine asked.

"Come on, it's just Facebook. What can be dangerous in posting a few photos?" Danny asked.

~ o ~

A few thousand miles away, in a huge house in the middle of nowhere, a man was sitting in his study, enjoying his expensive Scotch and watching photos on his computer.

"What are you doing?" the other man asked as he stepped inside.

"You know, I like teenagers" the man behind the desk said. "They share the smallest details of their lives on the Internet and they have no idea how much trouble they can cause with that."

The other man stepped behind him and looked at the photos with a raised eyebrow. They had to go through several pictures of places and food before he found out what his boss was going through.

"It's the kid's profile?" he asked.

"Yes" his boss said. "Such a disappoitment. You would think that kids who grow up beside a bodyguard are smarter than this."

He sighed and leaned back on his chair, closing his eyes.

"It's a good thing, right?" the other man asked. "If we can see his photos, we can learn a lot about him and probably about his fathers, too. We can find out when Blaine is alone and then kill him without problem."

"I don't want to kill him" his boss said.

"You don't?" the other asked. "But I thought..."

"I want him dead but that's not how I do things. You know that" his boss said and leaned forward again. He searched through Danny's photos until he found one where he was with Blaine and Kurt, all of them smiling and seemingly happy. "I want him to feel the pain I felt when I lost my father."

He reached out and ran his fingers down Kurt's face before he moved his finger over the picture of Danny and then back to Blaine's.

"I want him to lose everything" he continued. "I want him to be completely alone and hopeless when I finally go after him."

"The kid is an easy target" the other said. "We could start with him. Take him from school and leave his dead body on Anderson's doorstep."

"I didn't say I wanted to kill them" his boss said.

"Then what do you want to do with them?" the man asked.

"I'm not sure yet" the boss said. "We can't be careless. We only have one chance to destroy Anderson and the plan must be perfect before we make a move."

He leaned back on his chair again, watching the family in disgust. He felt sick as he looked at those smiling faces.

"Blaine Anderson must pay for my father's death" he said determinedly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!

Kurt sighed as he watched Danny get ready for his first day in the new school. It was the last evening before the school year started and Danny, like every single year, checked his bag one more time to make sure he had everything he needed. Like most teenagers, he had trouble waking up early in the morning and it was a miracle that he was never late.Or better say, he was lucky he had Kurt or Blaine to kick him out of the bed in time.

Kurt sighed again. He hated when they reached this day, knowing that he had to wait months for the next longer break. All of them had to go back to work or school, they were busy again and had little time to spend together. He loved summer breaks a lot more, even if Blaine was often gone because of the band, at least he and Danny had more time for each other. It was about to change. He had to work on two movies at the same time and he knew he would barely be at home, he would barely see his family. He wished he could turn back time and go back on holiday for a little while but things weren't that simple for them.

"You are doing this again."

Kurt blinked and looked up at Danny who put down his bag and smiled at him.

"Doing what?" he asked.

"It's just school" Danny said. "Don't worry, we will see each other every day."

"I know..." Kurt sighed.

"Then what's wrong?" Danny asked.

"It's just... this summer was so short" Kurt said. "I want to turn back time and go back on holiday."

"Me too" Danny laughed. "But at least you don't have to go to school."

"True" Kurt nodded. "Are you ready? Because Blaine and I want to talk to you."

"About what?" Danny frowned.

"Let's go downstairs, okay?" Kurt asked.

Danny nodded and followed his father into the living room where Blaine was already waiting for them. Danny raised an eyebrow when he saw how excited Blaine seemed. 

"Okay, you are scaring me... What's going on?" he asked.

"Sit down" Blaine said. "We have something for you."

Danny sat down across the others, waiting for them to continue. Now he was curious. They only acted like this when there was something huge coming. He hoped it wasn't about a new project of Kurt, he barely saw him or Blaine and didn't want to be left alone more than necessary, especially now that he was about to start his year in the new high school. He was nervous like hell and he would surely need his fathers more than ever.

"You look like you did something wrong" Blaine smirked.

"I didn't... I think" Danny said slowly. "So what's going on?"

"This is your last night before the new school year starts and we have some presents for you" Kurt said and glanced at Blaine. "Would you like to start?"

"Of course" Blaine nodded.

"Why do I get presents? My birthday was in April" Danny said. 

"Because we love you and we want to make this easier for you" Kurt explained. "You don't know public schools the way we know and... let's say you will need these."

"Now you are certainly scaring me" Danny gulped nervously.

"Relax, it won't be that bad" Blaine said. "Hopefully."

Danny nodded silently. From everything he had gathered from the others in the past few months he came to the conclusion that by choosing a new school he had done the biggest mistake of his life. They never told him exact details but the quiet comments were enough to scare him.

"Open it" Blaine said and grabbed a small box from the table, pressing it into Danny'a hands. The boy opened it and laughed as he took the phone into his hands, the one he had wanted for so long but Blaine and Kurt never got him, telling him that it was too expensive and he didn't need it.

"Thank you" Danny said and went to Blaine to hug him. "I can't believe you bought me this!"

"Me neither" Kurt muttered.

Blaine smirked and grabbed his boyfriend's hand to squeeze it before turning back to Danny.

"Here, let me show you something" he said and took the phone from Danny. "This is our new app."

Danny raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the phone over Blaine's shoulder.

"iGuard?" he asked slowly.

"Our newest application" Blaine said again proudly. "We just finished testing it. It's only available for a few people."

Danny looked at the icon sceptically.

"It's easy to handle" Blaine continued. "If you are in trouble, you press the emergency button. It alerts a unit that tracks your phone and gets to you within a few minutes."

"That's why I got a new phone" Danny said slowly, still in shock. Sometimes Blaine came up with the weirdest ideas.

"Well, yeah" Blaine shrugged. "It wouldn't run on your old phone, so..."

"It's for emergency only" Kurt said. "So don't use it for fun."

"Believe me, I won't use it at all" Danny said. He couldn't believe Blaine thought he would need something like this. He was just a regular teenage boy, not the president's son.

"Alright, let's move to your next present" Kurt said.

Danny took a deep breath, worried that it could only be something worse. To his surprise, Kurt smiled at him and raised a plastic card into the air that had Danny's name on it.

"It's mine?" Danny asked. He wouldn't be surprised if it was something tricky again.

"We think that you are old enough for your first credit card" Kurt said. "We can't always be around and you might need money for school or when you go shopping without me..."

"A credit card?" Danny asked excitedly. He could definitely use that.

"You have a 1000 dollar limit, though" Kurt said.

"Monthly?" Danny asked.

"Weekly" Blaine said slowly.

A wide smile spread across Danny's face.

"You don't have to spend it all" Kurt said. "Only if you need money for something. I trust you to be responsible."

Danny nodded. Although the temptation was huge, he knew that Blaine and Kurt trusted him and he would show them that he deserved their trust.

"Now the last present..." Kurt grabbed the last small box from the table and handed it to Danny. 

The boy opened it and looked up in confusion as he pulled out the simple golden ring, attached to similar chains.

"What..."

"It was your father's wedding ring" Kurt explained. "Sadly, your mother's got lost but I got this one back and I saved it for you. I thought you would like to wear it but you don't really wear accessories, so..."

Danny opened his mouth but nothing came out. He hadn't even known about this ring and now that he had it, he was overwhelmed by emotions. He didn't have too much left of his parents and now that he had this ring, he felt like he was a little closer to them.

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked in concern. Danny seemed like he was ready to cry in any second.

Danny managed to nod before he threw his arms around Kurt. From everything he had ever gotten from Kurt, this ring was the most precious one.

"Thank you" Danny said quietly.

"Let me help you put it on" Kurt said when Danny pulled away. He took the ring from Danny and quickly fixed the chains around his neck. Danny looked down at the ring hanging over his chest, sighing heavily.

"You won't cry, right?" Blaine asked, smiling.

"I'm not sure" Danny admitted. "That's why I will take these and move back to my room to finish getting ready for tomorrow."

"Okay" Blaine nodded knowingly. Although they were all close, there were things Danny didn't like to do in front of them since he was a teenager. Showing his emotions, for example.

"Thank you, guys" Danny said as he stood up. "I really appreciate it."

Blaine put an arm around Kurt's shoulder as they watched Danny leave the living room. He waited for about a minute, until he was sure that Danny wouldn't come back and it was safe to talk but Kurt was faster than him.

"Don't you think it's too much?" Kurt asked. "He's just a teenager, I don't think we will need to track him down..."

"It will be useful when he won't come home in time and we need to find him" Blaine reasoned.

"I don't know... I did some stupid things when I was younger but my dad never had to track my phone" Kurt said.

"It was different" Blaine said. "Besides, we can never be careful enough."

Kurt sighed heavily. Blaine was right, of course. Over the years, they had dealt with some crazy guys. None of them was as crazy as Jeremy Carter, though, but crazy enough to make them worried about their kid's well-being. It was something that came with being famous.

"That credit card, though..." Blaine said after a while.

"Do you think it's too much?" Kurt asked.

"It's too much" Blaine nodded without hesitation.

"We have to believe that he's responsible enough to..."

Blaine snorted. As if Kurt didn't know Danny at all.

"Okay, you're right" Kurt rolled his eyes. "We can still take it back if he can't handle it."

"I guess it will happen soon" Blaine smirked.

~ o ~

Kurt woke up early in the next morning, so he could make breakfast for his family. It was a habit he had taken up long ago. They couldn't really spend much time together, so it was important for him to start the days with his family, especially when it was an important day like this. It was Danny's first day at the new school and Kurt wanted to make it easier for him. He was still worried that Danny would regret his decision, knowing how cruel kids could be and how hard life in public schools was, but he and Blaine had promised the boy that they would support him no matter what. Danny wasn't a little kid anymore, they had to let him make his own decisions, even if they knew that it wasn't the best for him. Danny wanted to learn what life looked like outside the walls of the expensive private school he had attended so far, so they let him leave that place and find another one. Even if Kurt was scared that his kid would have the same experience he had had in high school. 

"Good morning" Blaine greeted him as he stepped into the kitchen only minutes after Kurt. "I hope you are ready for your training."

Oh. Kurt had completely forgotten about that. Blaine helped him with his new role, so he could play the perfect secret agent and it was finally his time to learn how to shoot. He had been excited to try but he had forgotten about their plans because of his worry about Danny.

"Of course I am" Kurt smiled.

"You forgot about it" Blaine smiled knowingly.

"Okay, I did" Kurt sighed. "I'm sorry but... I think I'm worried about Danny."

"Kurt, you have to stop this" Blaine said. "He will be fine."

"What if they will hurt him?" Kurt asked in worry.

"Danny's perfectly capable of taking care of himself" Blaine smiled.

"We can't be sure" Kurt replied.

"That's right. But hopefully he trusts us enough to tell us if something goes wrong" Blaine said.

"Okay. Now I'm definitely worried" Kurt sighed.

"It's just school" Blaine said as he pulled Kurt into his arms. "I don't think he has anything to worry about."

Kurt shook his head. He would be worried about his kid no matter what. It was his job after all.

About a minute later, the door opened and Danny walked inside. Both adults turned towards him and Kurt opened his mouth to greet him but when his eyes landed on Danny's hair, he couldn't stop his gasp. Danny must have tried to gel his hair but it didn't really work because his hair was too long. He managed to gel it down on the top of his head but the rest of his hair was still curly, standing away in every possible direction.

"What did you do to your hair?" Blaine laughed.

"I tried to gel it but it didn't work" Danny sad desperately. "What should I do now? I can't go to school like this."

"You definitely can't" Blaine agreed.

"Blaine, you're not helping" Kurt hissed and turned back to his son. "It's okay. Just... wash it. It will dry until you get to the school."

"You know how horrible my hair looks when I wash it" Danny said.

"I think it looks great" Kurt smiled.

Danny buried his face into his hands. Life was so not fair.

"Come on, I will help you" Blaine said. "Can you handle the breakfast alone, honey?"

"Of course" Kurt snorted. "Go. You will be late from school."

When the others left the kitchen, Kurt turned back to the counter, unable to stop laughing. He knew that it wasn't fair but he couldn't help it. Danny had done some strange things with his hair before but this one was most certainly the funniest so far.

~ o ~

Although they had a rough start, once they solved the gel problem, everything seemed to work just fine. Kurt prepared their breakfast and although they didn't have much time to eat it, he managed to get Danny eat something before going to school. Just like every single day, Kurt brought Danny to school. Sometimes Blaine told him that it was too much, that Danny was old enough to go on his own but he couldn't help it. Okay, maybe he was a little overprotective but they lived in a large and dangerous city, he wanted to make sure that Danny arrived safely.

Once his nervous kid was inside the school's building, Kurt finally left and went back for Blaine. He had to learn how to shoot. He was nervous because of it, he had never held a gun in his hands before but it was time to learn how to use it. To be honest, he should have learnt it earlier. It wouldn't have hurt to have a gun around, even when Blaine was on tour and they were alone with Danny. But now it was his time. And he would show Blaine that he could do it.

"Wow" Blaine said in amazement as after the first few attempts with his help, Kurt held the gun alone and shot the man-shaped figure, surprisingly precisely.

"I know" Kurt said excitedly and fired again. "I can't believe it's so easy. I just pull the trigger and then..."

Another shot into the heart or at least where it was supposed to be.

"Okay... I don't think you need more practice" Blaine said.

"Oh, come on. We've just started" Kurt said and fired again, seemingly enjoying it like a small child a new toy. "Heart, again!"

"Yeah, I can see" Blaine muttered.

"I thought it was harder. You said that I would need a lot of practice to learn how to use a gun" Kurt said and turned around, the gun still in his hand. Blaine reached out instinctively, grabbed Kurt's wrist and held it away. It wasn't like Kurt could cause much trouble with the weapon but he could never be careful enough.

"You certainly need more practice" Blaine said. "Rule number one: never point a gun at me."

"Sorry" Kurt said, seemingly not too concerned. He knew very well that this wasn't real.

"I'm serious, Kurt. What if you accidentally shoot someone?" Blaine asked.

"That won't happen" Kurt replied. "I will never use a real gun, so..."

"You might need one and I want you to know how to use it" Blaine said. "So be careful. Keep it down until you find your target and are perfectly sure you want to shoot."

"That's not how they do it in the movies" Kurt frowned.

"But that's how you can save yourself from the trouble of accidentally killing someone" Blaine replied. "Okay, you have two more bullets, so if you want to..."

Kurt turned towards his target and shot it twice before Blaine could even blink.

"I think it's pretty much dead" Kurt said and finally put the gun down, much to Blaine's relief. For someone who hated violence, Kurt loved shooting a surprisingly lot.

"Now that it's done..."

"Will you really get me a real gun?" Kurt interrupted him.

"We will talk about it" Blaine said slowly.

"It wouldn't hurt" Kurt shrugged. "Who knows, maybe one day when you won't be around and another crazy stalker attacks me in the middle of the night..."

"We will talk about it" Blaine repeated. "You have to learn to use it first. Then we can talk about getting you a real gun. We still have to keep it locked up, though. If you don't remember, we have a teenage kid."

"True" Kurt nodded. "I don't want him to do anything stupid."

"That's why he won't know about it" Blaine said. "If I get you a gun, of course."

"Of course" Kurt rolled his eyes.

"We still have some time left" Blaine said as he checked the time on his phone. "Would you like to train?"

"Not really" Kurt said as he grabbed Blaine's shirt and pulled him close to kiss him. "The house is all ours for a few more hours and I think we should use it for another kind of practice."

"You-you think so?" Blaine stuttered as Kurt's lips found a sensitive spot behind his ear.

"Definitely" Kurt smirked. "If you are in the mood, of course."

Blaine laughed as he turned Kurt around and ushered him towards the stairs. It was no question that he would love to spend his remaining time before the meeting with something enjoyable, especially since they had the house all for themselves and didn't have to be worried that someone would disturb them in the best moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I'm finally back from my research trip and I have a new chapter for you. Enjoy!

Kurt felt like he was in heaven. Okay, he hadn't done anything useful, unless you counted that less than an hour he and Blaine had spent with his training and that he had made breakfast like every other day, but he decided that he deserved a day off and was determined to enjoy it. Blaine surely made it easy for him, at least until he was still home. Unlike Kurt, he had a meeting later that day and he couldn't skip it, not that he wanted to. Blaine loved his job, both the band and his position as the leader of the Warblers and when he could make it, he was always there on their meetings. But they still had a lot of time until that, so they enjoyed that they had the whole house for themselves, something that hadn't happened in the past few months, then ordered lunch and ate it together in the garden. It was definitely a good way to spend his day off but as every good thing, it ended quite soon. It was past two when Kurt realized that Blaine had to leave soon and Danny was about to finish with his last class as well and he had promised him that he would be there, so even if he wanted to stay in bed or swim in the pool instead of leaving the house, he had to go.

"Don't be lazy" Blaine smiled as he walked out of the bathroom and to his wardrobe, finding Kurt lying on the bed.

"I'm not" Kurt muttered.

He watched as Blaine got into his jeans and then grabbed one of the dozens black T-shirt from the shelf. No matter how important his position was, Blaine never wore a suit or anything fancy. He hated formal clothes and to his luck, nobody dared tell him what to wear. Okay, Kurt had tried to give him advice a few times but Blaine was hopeless. Since he was famous enough and had more money than anyone in the city, he realized that he could do anything he wanted and there would be no consequences. Not that most people cared, though. Blaine's fans liked him just like this and to Kurt's surprise, his business partner didn't complain either. 

"Do you like what you see?" Blaine winked as he slowly turned around.

"Not fair" Kurt said, blocking the sight with his hands pressed over his eyes. "Don't torture me, just go."

"You have to get up, too, you know" Blaine said. "Danny's waiting for you."

"I know" Kurt sighed. "Just give me a minute."

"Come on, Kurt" Blaine smiled and once he finished getting dressed, he walked to the bed, grabbed Kurt's hands and pulled him up into a sitting position.

"Don't I deserve some time to relax?" Kurt whined.

"You had the whole day" Blaine laughed. "I thought our shared activity was relaxing."

"Well, it was" Kurt admitted.

"Then let's get dressed" Blaine said. "Come on, we have to leave."

Kurt groaned but got out of the bed with Blaine's help. He quickly pulled up his clothes from earlier, checked his hair and was ready to leave within a few minutes. Blaine took his hand and led him downstairs, grabbing their keys on the way. Just when they were about to leave, the front door opened and Danny stepped inside.

"Danny? What are you doing here?" Kurt asked.

"My classes ended sooner" Danny said and without stopping to greet the others, he made his way to the stairs.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other, frowning. Something was wrong with the boy.

"How was your first day?" Blaine called after him.

"Horrible" Danny answered without looking back.

"I will talk to him" Kurt sighed.

"Good idea" Blaine nodded. "I have to go."

"I know" Kurt said and gave him a quick kiss. "Good luck with your meeting."

He waited until Blaine left, then turned back towards the stairs, sighing heavily. Whatever was bothering his kid, he would find out soon. He walked to Danny's room and knocked on the open door. Danny was lying on the bed but turned his head to face Kurt when he heard him knock.

"May I come in?" Kurt asked quietly.

Danny closed his eyes and nodded. Kurt sighed as he walked to the bed and sat down beside Danny, smiling sadly.

"I guess things didn't work the way you expected" Kurt said.

"Nobody talked to me" Danny said. "Not even the teachers."

"It was just your first day. It will get better" Kurt shrugged. 

"What if it won't?" Danny asked. "I don't want to be the weird kid without friends."

"Honey, you have to give them a chance to get to know you" Kurt smiled.

Danny sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked. "Why does everyone hate me?"

"Don't be overdramatic" Kurt smirked. "You had a lot of friends in your old school."

"Only because they knew who you are" Danny rolled his eyes. "They weren't even real friends. They only wanted to get close to you."

"I'm sure it's not true" Kurt said.

"None of them called me since I left" Danny pointed out.

"Did you call them?" Kurt asked.

"No" Danny admitted quietly.

"See? Maybe they are waiting for you to call them. You should give it a try" Kurt said.

"Maybe you are right" Danny said uncertainly.

"Of course I am" Kurt said. "And I have a great idea how you could get new friends."

"I'm listening" Danny said.

"After-school activities" Kurt said. "When I was in high school, I joined the glee club because I was so lonely. It was the best decision of my life. That's how I got new friends. That's how I met your dad."

Danny smiled like every time Kurt mentioned his parents. He knew that it would happen, that was why he talked about Will now.

"You think that I should join the glee club?" Danny asked.

"Or the drama club. Or whatever you want. It's your life, I can't tell you what to do with it" Kurt said.

"Thank you" Danny said and sat up to hug Kurt.

"You're welcome" Kurt smiled. "Blaine won't be back anytime soon and I'm sure he will be hungry when he gets home. Do you want to help me cook something for dinner?"

"Yeah" Danny nodded. "I think it will distract me for a while."

"That's right" Kurt nodded and stood up. "Come on. We have to figure out what to cook."

"Something sweet and unhealthy" Danny muttered.

"Fine. But only because you had a bad day" Kurt said.

~ o ~

Blaine loved the Puckers. It had been one of the best decisions of his life that he had joined the band. His whole life was about music, being on the stage, travelling a lot and he absolutely loved it. Okay, he missed being at home, especially when they were on tour for a longer time but it came with being famous, they had learnt how to live with it.

Now they were working on their new album and it meant that he could be at home a lot more. They still had to practice every day but he tried to finish early, so he had enough time for his family. They had an especially great day, it was only him and Puck, working on their new songs. They usually wrote them together. Puck had realised soon that Blaine was talented and always had new ideas, so he had asked him to help him with the songs. Thanks to that, their band was more famous than ever and now they had fans all over the world.

"Okay, that's it" Puck said and put his guitar down. "Let's go home."

"So early?" Blaine smirked.

"I promised Quinn that I would take the kids to see a movie" Puck explained. "She's tired."

"No wonder" Blaine nodded in understanding. "It must be hard for her."

"And it becomes harder with every single pregnancy" Puck sighed. "She still blames me for getting her pregnant again and made me promise that I won't go near her ever again."

"Wow" Blaine laughed.

"She won't remember it once the first trimester is over" Puck shrugged. "She acts like this every time."

"I don't understand how you can make it" Blaine shook his head slowly. "We only have one but it's still too much sometimes."

"I try to forget that my son is a teenager. That's how I do it" Puck said. "I simply don't listen to the smaller tantrums anymore. I guess we went through it so many times that I don't even notice them anymore."

Blaine smiled at that. He was surely lucky, considering what kind of hell his friends had to go through. There were the five kids of Puck and Quinn for example. And they had a sixth kid on the way. Even if they oldest was 13, they had two small kids and it would surely be like hell once they welcomed the newest member of their family. The last one if he could believe Quinn. She was pretty determined when she said that but he couldn't blame her. She was a great mother but having so many kids... Blaine felt so bad for them. But there were Nick and Jeff's triplets, too. Even if it was a lot easier now that the kids were older, they had a lot more trouble with them than Kurt and Blaine with their teenager kid. One kid was always easier to handle. Blaine had played with the idea of having one more but he didn't regret that they had forgotten about it with time. They were always so busy and sometimes he felt like they didn't even have enough time for Danny. How could they handle a much younger child on the top of that? No, they were fine this way. They could still have a baby later, if they really want one but not until they survived these years until Danny grew up completely.

"What about you?" Puck asked.

"What about me?" Blaine asked.

"Don't you want a little one you can take care of?" Puck smiled.

"God, no" Blaine said. "I'm glad that it's almost over. I don't want to start it over, at least not now. Luckily for me, my friends have so many children. I can always borrow one when I miss having smaller kids around."

"You can always borrow my kids if you want to" Puck smiled. "You can borrow them for a whole week or two."

"I thought so" Blaine laughed.

The door of the rehearsal room opened and they both turned to see who it was.

"Danny? What are you doing here?" Blaine asked in surprise as his very desperate looking kid stepped inside.

"Thank God you're here" Danny said. "I need your help."

"I told you so many times. Use condom if you don't want to get anyone pregnant" Puck said.

"What?" Danny asked in confusion. "Uhm... No, that's not exactly what I'm talking about but thanks, Puck. I will make sure I use condom once I need it."

"Good kid" Puck nodded.

"Why do you need my help?" Blaine asked as he turned back to Danny. "Wait. Does Kurt know that you came here after school? I thought it was his turn to pick you up after classes."

"He texted me that he couldn't make it in time. I told him that you would come for me" Danny said.

"You came here alone?" Blaine asked.

Danny rolled his eyes as he sat down beside Blaine.

"Believe it or not, I took the bus and guess what happened? Nothing" he said. "I'm old enough to leave on my own. Trust me, I know the way home. And here, too."

"You should have texted me or something" Blaine said in worry. "Anything could have happened and we wouldn't have known..."

"Blaine, I'm here and I'm perfectly fine. Stop worrying" Danny said.

"The kid is right" Puck agreed. "When I was 15, I not only went to school all alone every day, I tried on half of the cheerleaders..."

"Okay, we get it. You had sex with the whole town before you turned 17 but that's not how I imagine Danny's future" Blaine said in frustration.

"Only half of the town" Puck smirked. "I always prefered women."

Blaine closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. There was a reason why he didn't want Puck to give Danny advice in any question, especially if girls were involved.

"That was a different time" he said in the end. "Today's world is a lot more dangeorus than it was in our childhood."

"He still has to learn to live on his own. You guys are awfully overprotective and it's not good at all" Puck said, smiling when Danny nodded in agreement.

"Say this again when he gets caught by a serial killer" Blaine said.

"Okay... As much as I enjoy this conversation, I still need help and I'm running out of time" Danny interrupted.

"And how can we help you?" Puck asked.

"I don't really know anyone at school and Kurt suggested that I should join a club to meet new people" Danny said. "And I chose the glee club."

"That's a good idea" Blaine said.

"Oh, no" Puck said at the same time.

"What's wrong with the glee club?" Danny frowned.

"Do you want to ruin your high school years?" Puck asked.

"It's just a club. Why would it..."

"Let me explain" Puck and walked to Danny to sit down beside the boy. "It's like... food chain. On the top are the popular kids. Football players, cheerleaders, the bests of the school. If you want to be popular and have a lot of friends, you have to join those teams."

"I hate football and I definitely don't want to be a cheerleader" Danny said. 

"Glee club is great" Blaine said.

"Only if you're a loser and don't have a better chance" Puck said.

"I was in my school's glee club. We were like rock stars. We were the most popular kids at school" Blaine said.

"Because it was a private school and that was your only after school activity" Puck pointed out.

"It was still great. I met my best friends there" Blaine said.

"I was member of our glee club, too" Puck said. "Don't get me wrong, I got some good friends from there but I had to work very hard to keep up my reputation. Glee club is like social suicide if you aren't a popular kid, so only do it if you're perfectly sure you can live with the everyday humiliation it means."

Danny gulped nervously. He didn't want to be humiliated. He only wanted to get to know a few kids and have real friends. He didn't want the others to make fun of him.

"You think that I should find something else?" he asked uncertainly.

"No" Blaine said seriously. "If you want to sing, then do it. Don't listen to anyone."

"But Puck said..."

"The world has changed a lot since we were kids. I'm sure that kids at your age more open-minded and don't humiliate others for their love of music" Blaine said.

"I don't know..." Danny said nervously.

"Just give it a try" Blaie said. "If you don't like it, you can always quit."

"Or beat up those who make fun of you" Puck said. "It always worked in my time."

Blaine rolled his eyes but decided to ignore Puck's comment.

"You want me to help you with your audition?" Blaine asked as he turned back to Danny.

"Yes" the boy nodded. 

"Why don't you ask Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"Because he would want me to sing from a musical but it's not my world" Danny explained. "I want to show them who I really am. I need something..."

"Cool?" Puck asked.

"Exactly!" Danny nodded.

"Then sing one of our songs. We are cool" Puck said.

"Uhm... I also don't want them to find out who I am" Danny said.

"Okay, I'm confused" Puck said. "That's the opposite of what you said just a few seconds ago."

"I want to show them my talent but without giving them a chance to make connection between me and Blaine" Danny explained.

"Wait. They don't know that..." Blaine motioned between him and Danny.

"Of course not! It would ruin everything" Danny said.

"Because I'm not cool?" Blaine asked in confusion. "Letting them known that your adoptive dads are famous would definitely make you a popular kid."

"And I would lose the chance to have real friends" Danny said. "I don't want them to like me because of you. I want them to like me. The real me."

"Okay" Blaine said slowly. He wasn't sure if he liked this but he wanted to help Danny with his audition. Everything else could wait a little longer. "Let's try a few songs and see which one suits you the most."

"I might have a few ideas" Danny said and quickly pulled out a few sheets from his bag. "I couldn't decide which one would be the best for my voice, so..."

"I love this song" Puck said as he looked down at the first paper in Danny's hand.

"It could be good" Blaine nodded in agreement. "Let's get onto the stage."

He grabbed the guitar and pressed it into Puck's hands before walking onto the stage to get the other one.

"Do you want to play?" he asked and held out the other guitar for Danny to take it.

"Oh, yes" Danny said excitedly and grabbed the guitar.

Blaine nodded and ran his hands down the keyboard, preparing himself for the song.

"Are you ready?" he asked after a second.

Danny looked down at the empty room in front of him, smiling. Of course he was ready. It was practically in his blood to be in the stage.

~ o ~

...It's my life  
And it's now or never  
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
(It's my life)  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
'Cause it's my life! 

Danny smiled as he looked down at the other students sitting in the first rows of the auditorium. His performance was perfect, of course. Every single note in place, every movement smooth, just like how it was supposed to be. He was a lot better than the other applicants, he knew that. They had been awful to be honest. They were insecure, they hadn't moved the slightest and they had all sung those boring old songs. It seemed like they were from another century at least if not another world.

"Thank you, uhm... David..."

"It's Daniel but Danny is fine, too" Danny said.

"Danny. We will let you know about our decision soon" the boy whose name Danny didn't remember because it was so long and strange said.

"But you didn't need time with the others. You accepted them immediately" Danny replied.

"Because they were great" the guy said.

Danny looked at him in disbelief. He couldn't honestly tell him that the others were good enough for them but he wasn't. He was a lot better than any of these kids.

"I don't get it. What's your problem with my performance?" he asked.

"You didn't choose from the setlist" one of the girls said.

"Which setlist?" Danny asked slowly.

"The one we made for this year's performances" the girl said.

"Nobody said anything about the setlist. How was I supposed to know about it?" Danny asked.

"Everyone knows about the setlist" the first boy said.

"I just started attending this school" Danny explained.

"Your problem" the girl right in front of him shrugged.

"Just let me try again, okay? I'm sure I can sing you something that suits this year's themes" Danny said hastily. He had to get in. He couldn't fail in something like this. What would Kurt and Blaine think about him?

"It has to be a classic" the girl replied.

"Okay" Danny nodded, although he had no idea what they wanted from him. It's My Life was a classic, it was the perfect choice for this theme.

"It also can't be from the 21th century" another boy said.

"Or the 20th" the boy beside him added.

"You don't sing songs from the past 120 years?" Danny asked carefully. He must have come to the wrong audition. This couldn't be the glee club.

"From the past 200 but sometimes we can an exception" the boy who must have been the leader replied.

Danny took a deep breath. It must have been a nightmare. Yeah, it was surely a nightmare. He had been so nervous about this audition that he must have fallen asleep on his last class and now he had this very strange dream about kids who got trapped in the 19th century...

"Nobody sang Bach today" a girl said.

"Oh, you're right" the girl beside her nodded. "I don't get it. He's always the most popular..."

Danny had heard enough. He quickly turned around and started walking towards the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" a boy called after him. He didn't really care who it was.

"I still hope it's just a nightmare..." he said, stopping for a second to look back. "...but if it's not, I wasted two whole hours of my Friday afternoon for this joke of a show choir. I changed my mind. I don't want to join you."

"You can't change your mind!" the leader of the team gasped. "We can kick our members out but noone is allowed to quit, especially not before we decide if they can join us or not."

Danny rolled his eyes and turned away. He wasn't scared of these losers.

"Just so you know, we wouldn't have accepted you anyway!" the boy called after him. "We wouldn't let a rebel like you ruin the hard work of generations..."

Danny stepped through the door and slammed it shut, glad that it cut off the angry voices calling after him. He closed his eyes and sighed, giving himself a second to compose himself. He had imagined how could this audition take a horrible turn but this one was a lot worse than any of his nightmares.

"So much for getting new friends" he muttered. Maybe leaving his old school wasn't a good decision after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!

"My life is over."

Blaine suppressed a laugh as he turned away from Danny's door. It was Saturday morning and he and Kurt were standing in front of the boy's room, waiting for him to finally come out after the disastrous rehearsal the previous day. Danny hadn't said too much about it but it was obvious that things had gone wrong. He had been hiding in his room since coming home from the rehearsal and Kurt was getting worried about him. That was why they were both standing here, trying to convince Danny that his life wasn't over because of some club.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad" Kurt said.

"They hated me" came Danny's response form the other side of the door. "I can't go back there ever again."

"Don't be overdramatic" Blaine said. "It's just a club. You will find another one."

Danny didn't say anything at that. Kurt bit his lips in worry as he turned to Blaine.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"He should join the drama club because he sounds awfully like you. That's what I think" Blaine answered.

Kurt rolled his eyes.

"That's not what I was talking about" he said. "I thought you had an idea how we should solve this."

"I think we should leave him alone. He's a big boy, he will come out once he's ready" Blaine said.

"He already skipped dinner and breakfast. I won't let him miss another meal, it's not healthy" Kurt said determinedly.

Blaine shook his head, smiling. He could say whatever he wanted, he couldn't change Kurt's mind.

"Okay. Who wants pancakes?" Blaine asked loudly. "Danny?"

"You can't make my life better with pancakes" Danny replied.

"At least I tried" Blaine shrugged. "Okay. I'm out of ideas."

"Sweetie, just come out and talk to us" Kurt said. "It surely wasn't that bad..."

Suddenly, Danny opened the door and stepped outside. It was obvious that he hadn't had any sleep that night.

"It was" he said. "It was horrible actually. I sang the song we practiced and then they told me that they had a setlist I should have known about and I should have picked a song from that list. Okay, I thought, I'm professional, I can make it. But I couldn't because it turned out they don't sing any songs from the past 200 years!"

"Isn't it a show choir?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"Apparently, it looks like it isn't" Danny replied. "No wonder noone wants to talk to me. Even the losers hate me. I will spend my remaining years of high school as an outsider."

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other. They had had their own problems back in high school but they had never been alone. It meant a lot when you had at least a few friends.

"Other afterschool activities?" Kurt tried to come up with something.

"There's nothing else" Danny said. "Most clubs don't take new students, only these weirdos like the science club or-or the superhero club..."

"There's a superhero club in your school?" Blaine asked excitedly.

"No way" Danny said.

"Why not?" Blaine asked.

"Because they are completely insane" Danny said. He sighed heavily and shook his head again. "Now if you excuse me, I have to do my homework."

Blaine quickly grabbed his arm before Danny could close the door again and pulled him out onto the corridor again.

"You won't hide in there any longer" Blaine said. "Kurt's right. You need to eat something and then, if you're in the mood, we can train a little."

"Really?" Danny asked, smiling the first time since he had gotten home from his rehearsal.

"Yes" Blaine nodded.

"And I have a beautiful idea for the afternoon" Kurt smiled. "Shopping."

"Shopping?" Danny asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course" Kurt nodded. "Come on, I know you want to go shopping. It always makes me feel good. It would make you feel better as well, right?"

"Maybe a little" Danny admitted.

"Very good" Kurt nodded. "I will make you breakfast. What do you want to eat? Eggs? Sandwich?"

"Eggs will be fine" Danny said.

"Just give me five minutes" Kurt said and disappeared from their sight within a blink.

Blaine smirked as he turned back to Danny.

"You know you take advantage of his love, right?" he asked.

"Maybe sometimes" Danny admitted.

Blaine laughed, shaking his head. It was unbelievable that Kurt never noticed what was really going on...

~ o ~

Although the morning hadn't started too well, they had a really good day together. Blaine and Danny had stayed in the basement until lunch, using their free time effectively. Blaine showed Danny a few more techniques how he could defend himself and fight back if necessary. When they finally walked upstairs, tired and hungry, Kurt was already waiting for them. They decided to have lunch in their favourite restaurant and then they headed to the mall to buy a few clothes.

Blaine stayed behind after a while. He got bored of shopping a lot sooner than the others and he thought that Kurt and Danny needed some alone time, too. Although they worked together as a real family, Danny was still closer to Kurt than he would ever be to Blaine. It was fine, though. It was Kurt who had raised the boy since his first year after all. They needed this little time they had to keep up their great relationship.

And Blaine needed some alone time, too. Because there was something he had planned for a while and now he felt like he was ready. Once he made sure Kurt and Danny were lost in shopping, Blaine walked to the jewellery shop he had visited so many times in the past few months. It had been before Danny's birthday that he and Kurt had gone out to buy presents for the boy when Blaine had seen it. A simple golden ring with a few bright blue gems. A perfect present for Kurt. Blaine had been waiting for the right time to buy it, though. First he had been afraid of buying it because Kurt would think that Blaine wanted to propose and the thought had scared him at first. But then time had passed by and Blaine had found himself thinking about marrying Kurt a lot. It wasn't like they weren't ready for marriage, right? They had been together for almost 10 years, they were happy together, they worked together perfectly and they imagined their lives together. It wasn't like it would change anything... They would still live together, they would love together and they would dream about a future together. Just like before. So Blaine finally gathered his courage and decided to buy the ring.

He looked around before he stepped inside, knowing that he had to be careful. He could never be sure that there was noone watching him and the last thing he needed was to find his photo in the papers before he could propose. No, it was something they had to do privately. He wanted to surprise Kurt, so nobody could find out what he planned for his boyfriend. Okay, maybe he should tell Danny. He had to explain why he needed a night together with Kurt after all.

He didn't spend much time in the shop, he walked straight to the ring he had chosen and checked if it would fit. It seemed like it had been made for Kurt, though, so he quickly paid for the ring and left before anyone could recognize him. He pocketed the ring and as he walked back to his family, he was already thinking about a way to present it to Kurt. Preferably as soon as possible because he wasn't too good in hiding things from his boyfriend. 

"Where have you been?" Kurt asked as Blaine joined him and Danny, still in the same shop he had left them.

"Just looked around" Blaine answered. "You know. To make sure there wasn't any stalkers or crazy fans around."

Kurt sighed heavily. It hadn't been long since a crazy fan of Blaine had followed Kurt and Danny to the mall and trapped them in the bathroom because he had wanted to ensure he got the VIP tickets for Blaine's upcoming concert. Since that incident, they were a lot more careful in the mall, even if Kurt hadn't let Blaine get them bodyguards again.

"It's not funny, Blaine" Kurt said seriously.

"Don't worry, honey" Blaine said and gave Kurt a quick kiss. "I won't let anyone near you. I promise."

"Well, while you were playing bodyguard for us, we found some clothes for ourselves" Kurt pointed at the dozens of outfits at his leg.

"You can't be serious" Blaine said slowly. Kurt had already way too many clothes and his wardrobe seemed to get more crowded with every passed day.

"I will show you them tonight" Kurt whispered into his ear.

"Oh-Okay" Blaine said. He had no chance when Kurt played with him like this.

"Guys, no sex in the mall" Danny said disapprovingly.

"We would never do that. We are professionals" Blaine said and leaned closer to Kurt. "Although that changing room seems nice."

"Blaine!" Kurt gasped and slapped Blaine's shoulder.

"Is it my fault you look so sexy?" Blaine asked innocently.

"Let's go home before you do something embarrassing" Kurt laughed and grabbed Blaine's arm to lead him out of the shop.

Later that evening, when they were home, Blaine finally found some time to talk to Danny privately. The boy was sitting in his room, seemingly lost in some website. Blaine raised an eyebrow and looked at the page over Danny's shoulder. The boy must have sensed that someone was watching him because he quickly closed the window and turned around.

"Blaine! You scared me" he said.

Blaine took a careful step forward. He didn't like it when Danny tried to hide something from him, especially when his Internet connection was involved. Although they had talked about it a lot, Danny still didn't understand how dangerous Internet could be and people like them had to be even more careful.

"What were you doing on your computer?" Blaine asked.

"Just... reading" Danny replied.

"Danny."

The boy sighed. Blaine always knew when he didn't tell him the truth.

"It's just a blog, okay?" he said in the end, still not ready to show Blaine the page. There were all of his secrets after all and he didn't want any of his fathers to see it.

"What kind of blog?" Blaine asked.

"A personal one" Danny rolled his eyes. "It's not a big deal, practically everyone has a blog nowadays..."

"Nobody knows who you really are, right?" Blaine asked.

"Of course not!" Danny said. "Could you stop this I'm-the-security-God-so-I-can-keep-your-whole-life-controlled thing?"

"Security god?" Blaine smirked.

"I'm careful. You don't have to check on everything I do" Danny said seriously.

"Fine" Blaine said in the end. "I believe that you're responsible and I respect your privacy, so I won't check on that blog of you."

"Thanks" Danny said gladly.

"I still need to talk to you, though" Blaine continued.

"About what?" Danny asked.

"I... I would like to go on a date with Kurt. Tomorrow" Blaine said. 

"Fine" Danny said easily. His dads didn't need his permission to go anywhere.

"Kurt wouldn't want to leave you alone, though, so..."

"Oh, I get it" Danny nodded. "So I have to convince him that I'm perfectly well without you and that you need some time together."

"Exactly" Blaine smiled.

"I can do that" Danny said in the end.

Blaine seemed surprisingly excited when he heard the answer.

"Is everything alright?" Danny asked.

"Of course" Blaine said. He decided not to tell Danny anything until Kurt said 'yes' because if his answer would be a 'no', it would be awkward enough without anyone knowing about it. "I just... I can't wait to go out on a dinner with Kurt. It's been so long since the last time."

"Seven days, it's an awfully lot" Danny smiled.

"Ah, you don't understand this" Blaine shook his head but he was smiling, too. When he was nervous, he did stupid things.

~ o ~

Kurt hummed happily and closed his eyes as he took the first forkful of cheesecake into his mouth. He loved these nights when he and Blaine were all alone and he certainly loved this place Blaine had picked for their date. The food was delicious and so was the wine and on the top of that, they had a private room just for themselves where nobody saw or disturbed them. It was definitely a good choice. He made himself a mental note to come here more often.

"Thanks for bringing me here tonight" he said. "This place is amazing."

"I know" Blaine smiled. "I wanted a place where we could be alone."

"Why is it so?" Kurt asked, smiling.

"Well, I..." Blaine didn't know how to continue. He knew that it was his moment to ask Kurt to marry him but he didn't know how to do it.

"Blaine, is something wrong?" Kurt asked in worry.

"No. No, of course not" Blaine said hastily.

"You seem nervous" Kurt pointed out.

"I might be" Blaine replied.

"Okay. Now I'm definitely worried" Kurt said.

"I just... You know it's been almost ten years since we got together" Blaine started. Yes, that's how he had to do it.

"Of course I do" Kurt said, taking his boyfriend's hand. "And I still enjoy every moment with you."

"That's... great because I have to ask you something" Blaine said. He should have gone through his speech because he wasn't too good with words and Kurt definitely deserved a better proposal but it was too late. He had to do it without help.

"I'm listening" Kurt said.

Blaine reached into his pocket and grabbed the small box, squeezing it tightly.

"Kurt, you are the love of my life" Blaine started. "These years have been beautiful and I know that the rest of our lives will be just as amazing. Because you are the most perfect boyfriend I can have. You make me a better person, Kurt. You make me happy and I... Okay, I'm stuttering, right?"

"It's sweet but I still don't understand what you're trying to say" Kurt smiled.

Get on your knees, you idiot, Blaine reminded himself.

He quickly got on one knee in front of Kurt and opened the box to show Kurt the ring inside. Kurt gasped in surprise and Blaine panicked. What if he would say no? 

"I... I just... Okay, your expression scares me, so I will just say it. I love you, Kurt, and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. As your husband" Blaine said. He screwed up, he knew it. That wasn't how people proposed. He didn't even asked Kurt in the end, just said what he wanted. It was so wrong...

But Kurt smiled and knelt down beside him, taking his hand.

"Yes" Kurt said.

"Yes, I'm an idiot?" Blaine asked uncertainly.

"You certainly are" Kurt agreed, pressing a soft kiss to Blaine's lips. "But you are my idiot. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. As your husband."

Blaine was speechless. Was it real? Did Kurt really say that he wanted to marry him?

"Now comes the ring part" Kurt smiled.

"Oh, yes. Of course" Blaine said. His hands were shaking, so in the end it was Kurt who took the ring from the box and put it on his ring finger. It fitted perfectly.

"I love you" Kurt said.

"I love you, too" Blaine replied. Still kneeling on the ground, he pulled Kurt into his arms and kissed him, glad for the private room, so they could enjoy this moment without being scared that someone might see them. They had to announce the news soon because people would notice Kurt's ring sooner or later but it could wait a little more. It was their night, they could share the news with their fans the next day. Or a few days later. It so didn't matter right then and there.

~ o ~

All the lights were on, windows and doors securely locked, the alarm system on. Danny had checked everything four times. It wasn't like he didn't like being alone in the house. He had enjoyed the first two hours when it hadn't been dark outside. He had spent some time outside at the pool, then he had gone inside and ordered pizza. It had been great to have the house just for himself. But then the night came and Danny started worrying. He hated being alone in the dark house. It was one of his biggest secret, one that noone knew about. He was scared of being alone after darkness.

He knew that he had nothing to be scared of. Their house was most certainly the safest place of the whole city, Blaine always made sure to get them the newest alarm systems and nobody but their closest friends knew where they lived, so he was safe from his dads' crazy fans and possible criminals who wanted to kidnap him for ransom. It still didn't help that uneasy feeling that came out every time he was left alone. Because no matter how safe their house was, he knew that there were people out there who could get to him if they really wanted to.

It had happened once. Although Danny had just a few memories of that time of his life, he remembered exactly how scared he had been when Jeremy Carter had taken him from home and had held him captive for days. He still remembered the pain the man had caused him or the feeling of the gun pressed to his head. And that was what made him so scared of the darkness.

Danny closed his eyes and forced himself to take a few deep breath. He had to calm down. Kurt and Blaine could be back in any second and he didn't want to let them know how he felt. Kurt would be worried about him again and probably wouldn't let him out of his sight anytime soon. That was the last thing he needed. And he also had to find a way to fight down his fear because he would move out someday to start his own life and as much as he hoped that he wouldn't be single by that time, there was no guarantee that he would find someone. Especially if things didn't change drastically because right now he was nobody, just a loser without friends who spent his whole weekend with his dads because he had nobody else.

Danny finished his pizza on the living room's couch and when the movie he had been watching ended, he turned off the TV and got rid of the evidence that he had eaten in the living room. Kurt didn't like it when he brought food in there but since Kurt wasn't at home and wouldn't find out about it anyway, Danny thought that he deserved that much. It wasn't like he burnt down the house or something equally horrible. People usually ate in the living room, it was only Kurt who freaked out when his precious carpet got dirty.

He walked back into the living room to grab his phone and check on the doors again. Okay, it was insane but there was no way that he would go upstairs AND turn off the lights downstairs before making sure everything was locked and the security system worked properly. He might try to heal himself from his fear but it didn't mean he would be careless. He shook his head as he checked the front door, knowing how insane he was. He remembered when he had locked it before, of course it was still closed... He quickly turned off the first lights in the kitchen and the hall and then walked back into the living room.

Once his phone was in his hand, he turned off the light in the living room as well and then went to check on the security alarm one more time before moving back into his room. But as he passed the window, he glanced at the garden for a brief moment. Usually, there was nothing out of order out there. Their garden most mostly empty, they only had a few rose bushes, two old trees and grass everywhere else. He sighed in relief when he found the garden empty again and turned to walk out of the room. But then he saw something from the corner of his eyes. It was a shadow – and it was moving.

Danny shrieked and almost dropped his phone as he hastily crouched down. God, there was somebody in the garden... What should he do now? 

He took a few deep breaths and shakily stood up. He had to make sure it wasn't just his imagination playing with him and if he was right – he hoped he wasn't –, he had to get help as soon as possible. He carefully peeked out of the window, searching for the shadow he had seen before. But the garden seemed quiet again, there was nobody out there. He pressed his eyes closed and sighed in relief. Of course it was his stupid mind playing with him again. It had happened before. He was so scared of the darkness that something he made up things that weren't even there.

"It was the wind" he told himself. "It was just the wind. There's noone out there."

He kept his eyes on the garden for a few more minutes but nothing happened. He calmed down a bit and finally turned away from the window, berating himself for scaring himself uselessly again. He seriously had some trouble with his head. It wasn't normal that he saw things that weren't even there.

He checked the security alarm before moving to the stairs, deciding that he would spend the evening in his room, writing his blog and answering PMs. He had gotten two that day and it was time to answer those messages. It wasn't like he could sleep until the others got back from their dinner. Even if he calmed down a bit, there was no way in hell that he could fall asleep when he was completely alone in the house.

He walked up the stairs, without looking back at the window one more time, to his luck. Because the man now standing in front of the window would surely have scared him to death.

~ o ~

The man walked back to the car and got inside, looking at the laptop in his boss' lap with a raised eyebrow.

"The kid saw you" his boss said.

"He saw a shadow. Nothing more" the man replied.

"You have to be more careful next time" his boss said, typing on his laptop. He had to change the recordings of the security camera before the bodyguard noticed anything. His man walking around in his garden, for example. Then he opened another window on his laptop and checked the messages. Nothing.

"I don't get it" the other man said after a while. "Why don't we go inside now, kill the kid and then wait for the others in there? It would be so easy to kill them now."

"Because the time isn't right" his boss said.

"It's not now your father did things" the man replied.

"My father is dead, Mick, and you're working for me now" the boss said seriously. 

"I remember, Ethan" Mick said. "Although I liked how your father worked a lot better. It was quick, easy and violent. What are you doing by the way?"

"Waiting for a message from William Sh" Ethan smirked. It hadn't been hard to find Danny's blog and get in touch with him. Now Danny believed that he was a nerd from another high school with similar problems. It went slowly because he had to be careful with what he said but it seemed that he would earn Danny's trust soon.

"I don't get. Why are you messing with the kid?" Mick asked.

"Because he will be our best source of informations" Ethan answered.

"You think that he will tell you anything?" Mick asked sceptically.

"You would be surprised how much these kids tell each other when they think they are anonymous" Ethan smiled. "And here it is. Danny's reply."

"We could kill him" Mick said, looking at the house. "You said you wanted to cause the bodyguard pain. It would surely upset him to find the kid dead."

"I want to break him. Big difference" Ethan said.

"I don't understand" Mick said.

Ethan rolled his eyes. Of course. He didn't keep Mick around because he was such a smart man.

"We could kill him right now, yes. It would surely upset Anderson but he would move on eventually. That's not what I want. I want to break him slowly. I want him to lose everything before I strike. I want him to beg for death before I finally kill him" Ethan said.

"It will take you some time" Mick said.

"Ten years in that hell taught me how to be patient" Ethan replied.

His phone beeped and he laughed as he read the text.

"Our lovebirds got engaged" Ethan said. "It's just getting better. Blaine gets everything he wants and then I come and destroy everything. Perfect."

"If you say so" Mick shrugged. He didn't see how this plan could work but Ethan was his boss and he did as he was told. No question. Or not too many. That was how he had survived in this business for the past twenty years.

"Don't worry, if everything goes according to the plan, I will get you one of them to play with. The fiancé or the kid, your choice" Ethan said after a while.

Mick smiled cruelly. Now that sounded like a great plan.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!

Kurt moaned and turned to his side, enjoying the warmth of the bed a little longer. He felt amazing. He kept his eyes closed, remembering the previous night. They had gotten home late from their date where Blaine had asked him to marry him. Marriage. It was really happening. He had been waiting for this for so long and now they were finally getting married. Life was perfect.

"Kurt."

"Five more minutes" Kurt muttered.

"Kurt, wake up!" Blaine said urgently.

Kurt opened one eye and looked at his boyfr- fiancé. He could get used to this easily.

"We overslept" Blaine said.

"We... Oh, shit" Kurt said as he jumped out of the bed. "Danny has to go to school!"

He rushed out of the room and to Danny's door. He knocked on the door until he heard his son's gruff voice from the other side.

"What do you want?" Danny asked.

"You're gonna be late from school" Kurt said as he opened the door. "Get up and get dressed. I'll make you something for breakfast."

Danny checked the time on his phone and his eyes widened. They should have been on their way to the school, there was no way in hell he could get there in time...

"Danny, move!" Kurt said and disappeared from his sight to get dressed and make his kid something to eat.

Five minutes later, they were sitting in the car on their way to the school.

"I can't believe I'm gonna be late from school" Danny said in panic. It was just what he needed. His teachers and classmates hated him already, now they gave him another reason to make fun of him. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because I overslept" Kurt explained. "It happens sometimes."

"No, it never happens" Danny said. "Not with you."

"It was a long night, okay?" Kurt said in frustration. "Besides, I think you're old enough to wake up on your own. You don't need me anymore. There'll be days when I have to go to work early and I won't be around to make sure you get to school in time."

"Thanks for telling me in time" Danny rolled his eyes.

Once they got to school, he jumped out of the car and left without a word. Kurt looked after him, shaking his head. Teenagers... And it seemed like it was just getting harder with him every day. Kurt made himself a mental note to get home n time that day because they needed to talk. They had to share the great news with Danny before he could learn it from somebody else.

~ o ~

Danny couldn't believe Kurt and Blaine had done this to him. Thanks for their late night date the previous day, the boy hadn't only overslept, he had been tired the whole day. In the end, he had managed to fall asleep in the middle of his last class and unfortunately, his teacher hadn't been too happy for that. Danny had woken up to the laughing of his classmates, finding a furious looking Mrs Hansen beside his desk. It was the worst way to wake up, that was sure. Although he hadn't been kicked out of the classroom, Mrs Hansen had given him extra homework he had to present the next day.

After all of this, Danny didn't really want to go home. He knew for sure that the others wouldn't understand him and they would blame him for falling asleep in his class. Kurt would probably check on his homework and send him to sleep early to make sure it didn't happen again. He so didn't need any of his fathers to treat him like a baby. He was 15, he was fine on his own.

Believing that some time off after school would solve all of his problems, Danny sent Kurt a quick text to let him know that he had to stay in school a little longer and that he would be home soon. He knew that Kurt didn't like it when he went home alone but he had done it a few times the previous week and he was fine, so he didn't see why he couldn't do it again. It wasn't like anything could happen to him on his way home.

He didn't stay in school, though. He hated this place and couldn't wait to get out of here. He decided to go to the mall instead. He had only used his credit card once and he had a lot of money he could spend. And he definitely deserved to buy a few things after such a horrible day. 

He chose one of the less crowded doors to get inside. It wasn't like there were too many people around, it was Monday afternoon and most people were still at work or school, but there was still a chance that he would bump into one of his fathers' friends and he wanted to avoid that. How could he explain what he was doing here when he should have been at school?

So he chose the back door where he knew only a few people were around. This time he only saw a girl and two boys, maybe a few years older than him. He only glanced at them and continued his way to the door when suddenly, the girl cried out. Danny stopped immediately and now he noticed that one of the guys held her pressed to the wall and was whispering something into her ear. Danny turned towards them, dropped his bag and grabbed the boy's shoulder.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked. His fathers had taught him to stay out of trouble if he could help it but he had also learnt from Blaine that they had to intervene if someone was in danger. And it certainly looked like this girl needed help.

"Nothing is wrong. Keep going, kid" the other boy replied.

"Let go of her" Danny said, glancing at the small figure of the girl between the two boys. He recognized this type. Football players, probably. Tall and muscular, seemingly stupid. 

"Go, kid" the other boy said.

"Or what?" Danny challenged.

"Or I will break your nose" the boy replied.

Danny snorted. As if it was so easy...

"I would love to see you try" he said.

And he tried. Danny barely had enough time to jump out of the way of the fist flying towards his face. He quickly stepped back, getting some distance between himself and the boys.

"Not so brave anymore, right?" the boy who had held the girl smirked, finally releasing the girl.

"Run" Danny told her.

He didn't have time to check if she ran away because the two boys attacked him at the same time and he had to focus on them if he didn't want a broken nose. And he certainly didn't want one. He took a few more steps back, trying to learn more about the attackers. That was what Blaine had taught him at first. He had to find their weakness, so he had a chance to defeat them.

"Come on, kid. There's nowhere to go" one boy said.

"You should have stayed out of this" the other one said. "But we'll gladly teach you a lesson."

"You think that you Neanderthals can teach me anything?" Danny snorted. 

"Someone has a big mouth" the first boy smirked and turned to his friend. "Would you like to start?"

"With pleasure" the other one replied.

He reached out to grab Danny's arm but the boy grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back, then pushed the boy to the wall. Once he let go of his arm, he turned to the other boy who was running towards him, raising his fist to hit him. Danny ducked his head and kicked the boy, sending him down to the ground. The boy landed on his back, groaning in pain.

Neanderthal 1 was back, attacking from behind this time. He grabbed Danny's shoulders, puling him close and used one arm to hold the boy down, then reached for his wrist with his free hand. Danny trampled on his foot and threw his head back. The boy behind him hissed as Danny's head collided with his nose and let go of the boy immediately. Danny turned around without hesitation and punch the boy in his face. Although he didn't get the boy's nose again, it surely hurt like hell. His attacker stepped back, pressing a hand to his face.

"Get out of here" the other boy said, watching in horror how much pain Danny had caused his friend.

Danny smirked as he watched them grab their bags and disappear from the scene within a blink. It was always the same. Since he wasn't a huge and muscular boy, no one really expected him to be able to defend himself. 

"That's it. Run, cowards!" he called after them.

He heard a quiet sob behind him and he turned around, noticing the first time that the girl was still there, sitting on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest. She was seemingly scared. Danny sighed as he looked down at her and took a few slow steps towards her, careful not to scare her.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked gently.

The girl nodded without a word.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked.

"No" the girl answered. "They just..."

She started crying. Danny knelt down beside her without hesitation and pulled her into his arms.

"It's okay" he said. "I don't think they'll be back anytime soon."

"Thank you" the girl cried.

"It's fine" Danny shrugged. He looked at the girl's face again and frowned. She seemed oddly familiar, he just didn't know where he had seen her before. "Have we met before?"

"I don't think so" the girl laughed. "I would remember you. I'm Alison, by the time."

Oh. Danny remembered where he had seen her before...

"I'm Danny" he said excitedly. 

Alison looked at him in confusion. No, she seemingly didn't remember.

"I follow you on Twitter" Danny explained. "I love your blog. Your writing style is amazing."

"Oh, I remember you" Alison nodded in the end. "You're that huge Klaine fan, right?"

Danny smirked. If Alison knew...

"You can say that" he nodded.

"I always wondered how you so much about them" Alison said.

Danny smiled again. He could have told her about his relationship with Blaine and Kurt but he decided to keep it secret. Alison was beautiful, she had long, blond hair, bright blue eyes and she was wearing a hot black dress. She seemed a little older than him but who cared? He wanted to get to know this girl and he wanted her to like him. The real him, not the son of the famous Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson.

"Would you like a coffee?" Danny asked.

"Uhm... what?" Alison asked.

"I-I mean... I don't want to scare you... I-I'm not a bad guy, I swear..."

"You're cute" Alison smiled.

Well, that wasn't how Danny liked to be called but at least Alison didn't run from him screaming, so...

"So coffee?" he asked again. "My treat, of course."

"Why not?" Alison smiled.

Danny helped her get back to her feet and then stepped away from her to grab his bag. He didn't notice how Alison checked him from behind. Not the boy, just his clothes. When she realized that all of Danny's things were expensive, she smirked. He was definitely a better catch than the other two.

~ o ~

Kurt got home late that evening. He was tired like hell and he felt like he didn't want to talk to anyone at all. He had had a long day, he had repeated dialog after dialog because the guy he was working with seemed to forget his lines over and over again and he was pretty sure that he had been drunk, too. So it had been a very long day and Kurt wanted nothing but a long shower and get in bed with Blaine.

Thank God Blaine had brought Danny home from school. He would have been late again and Danny surely wouldn't have appreciated it.

"Hey, honey" Blaine greeted him as he walked out of the kitchen.

Kurt closed his eyes and hummed happily as Blaine pulled him into his arms. There was a very pleasant smell filling the room and Kurt knew that Blaine was preparing something delicious for dinner.

"You're so good to me" Kurt sighed happily.

"It was a long day, I get it" Blaine nodded and grabbed Kurt's hand, pulling him into the kitchen. "Sit down. I'll take care of everything."

Kurt watched Blaine for a while, taking the glass of water from him gladly. He was such a lucky man he had Blaine. He always knew what Kurt needed and he did his best to make Kurt's days better. He couldn't wait to marry him.

"Have you told Danny about the ring?" Kurt asked after a while.

"It would have been hard since I haven't seen him since this morning" Blaine replied.

"What?" Kurt gasped suddenly. "He isn't home?"

"No" Blaine said as he turned around quickly. "It was your turn to pick him up from school and..."

"...And he texted me that he had to stay a little longer and you would pick him up" Kurt said.

"Oh" Blaine muttered. "Shit."

"Yeah, huge shit" Kurt said and quickly got up from the table to get his phone. It was past 8, Danny was supposed to be home and work on his homework or get ready for bed. Whatever he should do, he should definitely be at home. Kurt berated himself for letting himself being tricked by the boy again and cursed quietly when Danny didn't pick his phone up.

"I'm sure it's nothing" Blaine said when he saw how worried Kurt was. "Maybe he stayed a little longer to chat with his schoolmates..."

"I thought you were there the last weekend when he talked about nothing but how lonely he was in school" Kurt replied.

"I still don't think we should be worried" Blaine said. His sixth sense usually worked perfectly when it was about his family. And now he didn't feel like Danny was in trouble. At least until he got home...

The front door opened and both men ran to the door to see who it was. Kurt groaned in frustration as Danny stepped through the door, seemingly trying to sneak inside without being noticed. Well, it didn't work.

"Where the hell have you been?" Kurt asked. Although he was relieved that Danny was fine, he didn't like that he had spent his afternoon God knew where, without telling his parents about it.

"I..."

Kurt's eyes found the small dark patches on Danny's shirt and his eyes widened.

"Is that blood?" he gasped.

"Kurt, I can explain..."

"Oh my God! Are you hurt?" Kurt aked in concern and pulled Danny into the living room to check on him.

"Kurt, I..."

"Who did this to you?" Kurt asked.

"Kurt, he's not hurt" Blaine said from behind. He knew the signs and had his own idea what could have happened.

"Then how..."Kurt started, glancing at Danny's clothes again. He grabbed the boy's hand and groaned again when he saw it was slightly swollen. "You went into a fight?"

"Kurt, it's not what you think..."

"Really? To be honest, I have no idea what to think" Kurt said. "Where have you been and what happened to you?"

"I... I wasn't in school" Danny said hesitantly.

"I figured out" Kurt replied.

"I had a really bad day and went to the mall after school... There were those boys, they tried to hurt Alison, I couldn't let it happen..."

"Who is Alison?" Blaine asked.

"A girl" Danny smiled.

Blaine raised an eyebrow. They weren't that stupid.

"The girl I saved from those boys" Danny explained. "She was pretty shaken up, I couldn't leave her there alone..."

"So you spent your whole afternoon with that girl you don't even know and didn't even think about telling us about it? What if it was a trap? What if they worked together and tried to lure you to their van to..."

Kurt fell silent, taking a few deep breaths. He had to remind himself that none of that happened and Danny was home safely.

"She's nice" Danny said. "Believe me, she's not like that."

"You don't know that" Kurt said.

"She knows nothing about me" Danny explained. "I didn't tell her who I really was. And she likes me."

He smiled again, remembering the beautiful afternoon he had spent with Alison. 

"I'm gonna meet her tomorrow again" Danny said.

"No, you won't" Kurt said seriously.

"But..."

"You lied to us, Danny, not to mention you scared us to death" Kurt said. "You're grounded for two weeks."

"What? You never..."

"We never punished you before, right. Maybe we were wrong" Kurt said. It was definitely hard but he had to do this for Danny's sake. "I'll take you to school every day and pick you up after your classes. You'll spend the rest of the days at home. No friends, no fights with strangers and especially no dates with girls you barely know."

"You can't do this!" Danny gasped.

"Two weeks" Kurt said determinedly.

"Why do you have to ruin my life?" Danny asked and without waiting for an answer, he pushed himself through the others and ran upstairs. Seconds later, the adults heard as he slammed the door shut.

"Was it too much?" Kurt asked in concern as he turned to Blaine.

"No, it wasn't" Blaine replied without hesitation. "You handled the situation perfectly."

"But he hates me" Kurt said in concern. They had had slammer fights before but Danny had never said such things before.

"It's not true" Blaine said. "Just give him some time, he'll calm down."

"I hope you're right" Kurt sighed.

"Kurt, we have to set up some boundaries for his sake" Blaine said, pulling Kurt into his arms. "I know it's hard but we can't always be the cool parents."

"I want to be" Kurt muttered.

"I know, honey" Blaine laughed and kissed him. "Maybe we can reduce his punishment if he behaves himself."

"Tomorrow?" Kurt asked.

"You're horrible in this" Blaine smirked.

"I know..." Kurt sighed again.

"Come on, honey. Let's have dinner" Blaine said.

"Do you think he's hungry?" Kurt asked, glancing at the stairs.

"If he is, he can always come down here and have something" Blaine replied. "It's not like we let him starve."

"Maybe I should bring him some food..."

"Kurt, we're playing the bad parents, remember?" Blaine said. "Stop worrying about him. He's a big boy, he can come down here and make himself something if he's hungry."

"Fine" Kurt muttered. He hated being the bad parent. It was a lot harder than allowing Danny everything but he knew that he had to do this sometimes. It came with raising a teenage boy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!

Kurt was so wrong when he thought Danny would understand them and they could discuss what he had done wrong the next day. The boy simply decided that his dads were unfair and punished them by not talking to them at all. It worked, Kurt had to admit to himself. He felt bad for punishing Danny for that little mistake but he felt even worse when he saw how it affected his son. 

Danny woke up early in that morning and got ready without a word. Kurt made him breakfast but Danny didn't even touch it. He got dressed, grabbed his bag and waited for Blaine in the hall.

"Danny, please, talk to me" Kurt said in the end. Screw the whole grounding, he couldn't let his child go to school like this.

"There's nothing we have to talk about" Danny said and turned to Blaine. "Can we go? I don't want to be late from school."

"Just a minute" Blaine said and disappeared from their sight.

"The Warblers are coming over today" Kurt said quietly. "Is it alright?"

"Does it matter what I think?" Danny asked.

Kurt sighed sadly.

"You know why we have to do this" Kurt said.

"No, I don't see why you have to punish me for defending an innocent girl" Danny said.

Kurt opened his mouth to say something but Danny was out of the house within a blink, slamming the door closed behind him.

"Still angry?" Blaine asked as he joined his fiancé.

"Yes" Kurt sighed. "I don't think he understands why he is grounded."

"I'll talk to him" Blaine said and kissed Kurt. "It's gonna be fine, honey."

"I hope so" Kurt said. He hated that Danny didn't talk to him. It felt so wrong.

Blaine and Danny were mostly silent on their way to the school. Danny looked everywhere but at Blaine and didn't even seem to notice the worried eyes of Blaine on him.

"It's not fair, you know" Blaine said in the end.

"What?" Danny asked.

"You know that he loves you and you use it against him. It's not fair" Blaine said again. "You are grounded for a reason."

"Yeah. For defending someone who needed help" Danny rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that, by the way. You're the parents of the year."

"You are grounded because you lied to us and didn't come home in time" Blaine reasoned. "I'm glad that you helped that girl yesterday but playing with us like this isn't cool. You should have gotten hurt and we wouldn't have known about it at all. You can't do that anymore. We are responsible for you and we will keep you safe, whether you want it or not."

"I wish I had normal parents" Danny sighed.

"Well, this is all you get" Blaine replied. "Don't think that other parents don't do such things when their kids do something stupid."

Danny snorted but didn't say anything. He had already decided to ask his newly gotten friends about it and he was sure that their parents weren't that old fashioned.

"Kurt'll be here for you at 3" Blaine said as they arrived. "Just... try to be nice to him."

"How long do I have to wait for him if he doesn't show up?" Danny asked. "You know, if he has something more important to do than coming for me. Like every other time."

"He will be here" Blaine replied. Danny's bad mood started to affect him as well. "Let's go! I don't want you to be late from your first class."

"Of course not" Danny muttered as he got out of the car and left without saying goodbye. Blaine shook his head as he watched the boy walk to the building. Damn, sometimes it was so hard with a teenage kid.

~ o ~

Kurt had a horrible day. He couldn't stop thinking about Danny and how he could make the boy talk to him. He considered taking back the punishment, so Danny would forgive them, but he wasn't sure if that was the best he could do. Danny had to learn not to lie to them again because he could get in trouble the next time, and Kurt didn't want him to get hurt. So he had to be strong and not let the boy have what he wanted. It was still hard. He had thought that these years would be a lot easier. Danny wasn't a small child anymore, he understood things a lot better, or so Kurt thought. He wasn't that sure anymore.

Luckily, he didn't have to spend the afternoon worrying about his child who decided to lock himself up in his room again after school. The Warblers came over and they made Kurt forget about his problems for a little while.

"How much time do you have left, Tina?" Jeff asked from where he was sitting with Nick on the couch.

Tina sighed as she looked down at her huge baby bump and then up at Wes who pulled her into his arms.

"Two more months" Tina said. "I can't wait to get over with it."

"And have our little one in our arms" Wes said.

Kurt smiled at the couple. Wes and Tina had gotten together six years earlier, after the huge Warbler party. They had surprised all of their friends when they had announced their relationship but everyone was happy for them. Apparently, the baby they had been trying to have had made them wait for long years. Tina couldn't get pregnant for a long while and they had already given up when Tina got finally pregnant. Now she was seven months along and she looked absolutely beautiful. She was clearly happy, even if the pregnancy got harder with every day.

"I can't believe you guys don't want to know its gender" Nick shook his head. "Wouldn't it be easier to know if it was a boy or a girl?"

"It would be, but we like surprises" Tina smiled.

"You have to tell us as soon as you get to know" Kurt said. "I haven't bought anything for the baby yet."

"Choose a neutral color" Wes suggested.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Kurt asked. "No. I'll wait until I figure out if it was a boy or a girl and then buy something beautiful for the baby. I have a lot of ideas what your baby should get."

"That's what I'm afraid of" Wes laughed.

"Come on, I love shopping for babies" Kurt sighed happily. "It's so great that there are more coming. Now your baby, then Puck and Quinn's... I'm so excited!"

"What about you, guys?" Jeff smirked. "When will Danny get a little brother or sister?"

"Preferably never" Blaine groaned. "We have enough trouble with this one."

"The beautiful teenage years" Jeff sighed. "I remember how crazy we were at this age."

"Believe me, he isn't easier to handle either" Blaine muttered.

"I can practically sense a good story coming" David said, talking for the first time since they had arrived. He was mostly quiet when they talked about their families, probably because he was the only one who didn't have one. He had had a few girlfriends in the past few years but nothing serious. And he was single again, without any chance to have a family on his own in the near future. He always said that he was fine like this, but his friends knew how much he wanted what they had. David was lonely. They had tried a few times to help him but it seemed like there was no woman in this world who was good enough for David. So they had given up after a while.

"There's no story" Kurt said, rubbing his forehead. "He's just... He is like every other teenager."

"Yeah. He lies about where he goes, he gets into fights, just the usual" Blaine shrugged.

"Fights?" Tina asked.

"Don't ask" Kurt replied.

"Is that why he didn't come down here to greet us?" Nick asked knowingly.

"He is grounded" Kurt explained. "Apparently, he doesn't take it too well."

"It's normal" Nick shrugged. "He'll calm down after a while and understand why you had to do this."

"I hope so" Kurt said quietly. "I really didn't want to punish him but I don't want him to do anything stupid either."

"That's completely understandable" Wes nodded.

Kurt sighed sadly and looked down at the ring he had gotten from Blaine. He couldn't even share the news with Danny because the boy didn't talk to them. Apparently, as Kurt played with his fingers, Tina pointed out the ring and she cried out excitedly.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, pointing at Kurt's hand.

Kurt blushed as he looked at the ring again. It wasn't like he didn't want to tell his friends about it, but he wanted to tell Danny first. It was too late, though. 

"It is" Blaine nodded happily.

"Guys, this is amazing!" Nick said.

"Damn, I lost the bet" Jeff muttered at the same time.

"Bet?" Kurt frowned.

"Yeah. We bet if you would get married sometime" Jeff explained. "Since you have been together since ages and nothing happened, I thought you wouldn't get married at all."

"But I knew it would happen someday" Wes smirked. "So I won."

"No" Tina shook her head. "You said that they would get married on their 50th anniversary if they live long enough for that. Nick was the closest because he said ten years."

"That's right" Nick nodded. "Come on, guys. Make me rich."

"You are crazy" Kurt muttered.

"I'll buy your wedding gift from this money if it makes you feel better" Nick smiled.

"When are you going to get married?" Tina asked excitedly. "Please, tell me you'll wait until I give birth. I have to be there."

"We haven't talked about the wedding yet" Kurt said as he looked at Blaine who nodded in agreement. "I don't think it'll happen before next summer. You know how busy we are."

"Sure" David smiled.

"Was Danny happy when you told him?" Tina asked.

"He doesn't know yet" Blaine replied. 

"Since he doesn't talk to us..." Kurt shrugged.

"Just tell him. He'll surely be excited" Tina said.

They heard a loud bang coming from upstairs and then one of Nick and Jeff's daughters screamed. They all turned towards the stairs and most adults jumped up, ready to go upstairs to see what had happened.

"This can't be good" Jeff muttered, knowing his kids too well.

Within seconds, Danny walked down the stairs, the triplets following him closely.

"What happened?" Kurt asked.

"Ask them" Danny said, nodding towards the triplets.

"Danny doesn't want to play with us" Gabe said as he ran to his parents, his sisters following him soon.

"I have to do my homework but they don't let me study" Danny said.

"You surely have some time for them" Kurt said calmly, although he didn't like how Danny looked at the triplets at all. "You know how much they love you..."

"They ruin everything!" Danny said. "They climb on my bed, they play on my computer, make a huge mess in my room and I have to clean up after them in the end. I don't want them to be in there! Why don't you play with them?"

"Danny..." Kurt rubbed his forehead tiredly. Danny usually wasn't like this, he had no idea what was wrong with his kid. Okay, they had had a fight but it didn't mean that Danny had to be so rude. "Just play with them a little, please. They are so happy to see you."

"And I don't have a choice, right?" Danny asked as he took a few steps backwards. "Because this is your house and I'm nobody here."

"What?" Kurt frowned.

"Never mind" Danny muttered and quickly turned around to run back into his room.

"Why is Danny angry?" Ellie asked quietly.

"He isn't angry, sweetie" Kurt said as he crouched down in front of the girl. "He's just..."

"Teenager" Jeff smirked.

"I'm sorry, guys" Blaine said. "He usually isn't like this."

"It's fine" Nick shrugged. 

"Kids at this age has more important things to do" Jeff said. "Girls, parties, girls..."

"No girls, please" Blaine groaned. "Just for a little while."

"Nah, it'll be fun" David said.

"For him, maybe" Kurt sighed. He hoped that it wouldn't be that hard with Danny, though. He had no idea what had gotten into his kid but he hoped that it would be over soon.

~ o ~

Danny went back into his room and slammed the door shut, then locked it to be sure no one came inside without his permission. He was still angry for the previous night and it was a very hard day for him on the top of that. Some stupid kids in his school had made fun of him again and when he finally got home and hoped that he would have some time alone, the Warblers arrived and it meant having the crazy triplets around. Danny usually survived these afternoons without saying something he would regret later but not this time. He could have horrible days and even if Kurt and Blaine took his freedom away, he still had his own room and the right to decide who he wanted to see in there.

Luckily, the triplets didn't come after him this time. He sat down to his laptop to check on his emails and write another entry for his blog. At least he was popular online. Since he had started posting about his own life, a lot more people read his blog and sent him messages. Teenagers like him, of course, but at least they understood him. There was a new email from Pete, the boy who wrote him the most often. Danny didn't really like Pete, maybe because he reminded him on his own miserable life, but he was the only one who wrote him regularly and seemed to understand him more than anyone. Pete had the similar troubles at school and always tried to make Danny feel better. Just like now. 

Danny smiled as he went through the message but then closed the window, deciding that he would reply later. He wasn't in the mood to read about another horrible day of Pete, even if he knew he should do that much for the boy when he always listened to his own problems. He wanted to get out of his prison and do something that would make him forget about his problems for a while.

His phone beeped and Danny checked the message immediately. Now that was something he didn't want to avoid. It was from Alison and she wanted to meet him again. There was only one problem: he wasn't allowed to leave the house.

He sighed and texted Alison, telling her that he was grounded and he wouldn't be able to meet her anytime soon. The reply came within seconds.

They don't have to know.

Danny hesitated. Sure, Alison had a point. Blaine and Kurt had guests, they surely wouldn't search for him until the Warblers were gone and knowing them, it wouldn't happen for a few more hours. Danny could sneak out of the house and come back in time before anyone could notice his absence.

He quickly discussed the details with Alison and then got dressed. He wanted to look the best he could when he met the girl. Alison wasn't like the others... She was beautiful, clever and funny and Danny hoped that she was single because he felt like there could be more than friendship between them. Okay, he barely knew her, but he could feel something special forming between them. It was real this time.

When he was ready, he grabbed his phone and walked to the window. It wasn't too hard to climb down from his room, there was a tree beside his window that made it quite easy for him. He only had to be careful when he landed on the ground, he had to avoid the living room's windows, so no  
one could notice him. It meant some extra time until he left the garden but a few minutes later, he was already on his way to Alison.

He arrived ten minutes later and looked around in the deserted looking park. Not the place he would have chosen but if Alison wanted to meet him here...

"Hey, Danny."

Danny smiled as he turned around but his smile dropped as soon as he realized that Alison wasn't alone. There were two boys with her and one of them had an arm around her waist.

"Oh... Hey" Danny said quietly.

"I brought a few friends of mine" Alison explained. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not" Danny said.

"I'm Jay and this is Ryan" the boy beside Alison said.

Danny nodded, not knowing what to say. It was so not what he expected. He wanted to meet Alison and not these boys, especially not Jay who was most likely Alison's boyfriend. He fought against the heavy sigh that threatened to escape. Jay was a lot older than him, he was tall, muscular and everything a girl would need. Alison surely loved this boy and Danny had no chance against him.

"So you sneaked out?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah. My dads are kind of old-fashioned" Danny said carefully. Should he be afraid if these guys?

"We get it" Jay said. "You did the right thing. My old man was just like that, I know how hard it is for you now. But you can't let them tell you what to do. You are what, 17? Almost adult."

"I'm 15" Danny said, happy that he looked older.

"15? The best age" Jay said and turned to his friends. "I need a beer. What do you say?"

"Me too" Alison nodded in agreement.

"What about you, Danny?" Ryan asked.

"I..." Danny looked down uncomfortably. "I'm not allowed to drink. Kurt says I'm too young to..."

"And what do you say? Do you want to drink?" Jay asked.

"I..." Danny didn't really want to but he didn't want to look like the sheltered rich kid anymore.

"You know what? I don't think I wanna drink either" Alison said and smiled at Danny reassuringly as she made her way to him. "It's okay. Don't feel uncomfortable around us."

She kissed Danny's cheek and the boy turned scarlet within a second. Alison was a nice girl...

"Tell us about yourself, Danny" Jay said as he sat down onto the nearest bench.

Alison led Danny to the other bench and they sat down together. Now Danny felt confused. He thought that Alison was Jay's girlfriend but why did she sit with him then? It didn't make any sense. Unless... Maybe Alison wasn't Jay's girlfriend. Danny smiled as Alison took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"We just want to get to know you" Alison said.

Danny trusted her. Even if her friends seemed a little scary, Danny knew Alison. He had been reading her blog for months, he knew that she was a great girl.

So he told them a lot about himself. He was still careful not to let them know about his family but he told them a lot about his life. How it felt that his parents worked a lot, how lonely he was in his new school... Practically everything that bothered him. Alison seemed so understanding, he couldn't hold anything back from her.

"You don't have to be alone anymore" Alison said nicely. "We are your friends. You can trust us."

"Thank you, guys" Danny said gladly as he looked around. It was nice to talk to someone who understood him.

"The night is still young" Jay said. "Who wants to do something funny?"

"Oh, I have to go home" Danny said as he stood up. Although he wanted to stay, for Alison, he knew that he would be in trouble if he got caught. Kurt would surely never let him leave the house again. "My parents... Well, they are a little overprotective..."

"It's okay" Jay nodded. "Let's bring you home then."

"I can make it on my own" Danny said.

"Come on" Alison said as she grabbed his arm. "We don't want anything happen to you."

Danny sighed but nodded. He was perfectly sure that he could never say no to this girl. 

"Show the way, friend" Ryan said, putting an arm around Danny's shoulders.

Danny wished the way home was longer. They got to the house in no time, he could barely have enough time to talk to Alison a little more. He wanted to stay so badly. He couldn't be sure when he could sneak out of the house again and he already missed the girl.

"I'll call you" he promised Alison as he stepped away from the group.

"And I'll text you as much as I can" Alison said, hugging Danny. She pressed a kiss to the boy's cheek before pulling away.

"Don't do anything stupid without us" Jay winked.

"I won't" Danny smiled and finally turned away from them. He carefully walked to the house and checked if the way was clear before climbing up the tree beside the house and disappearing through his window. 

The others stayed on the other side of the street, watching the house.

"You were right" Jay said after a while. "He comes from a rich family."

"I can't believe three people live in such a huge place" Ryan shook his head.

"So what now?" Alison asked as she turned to Jay.

The boy pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"Now, babe" Jay started with a smirk. "You make him fall for you. You have to make him trust you completely. And then we'll see how much money we can get out of him."

"We don't have much time" Alison said in worry.

"I'm sure they'll give us some more time if I tell them what we have here" Jay said. "Don't worry. We'll be fine."

Alison sighed heavily and nodded.

"Just a little more" Jay said. "Once we get the money, we'll be out of this city in no time and never come back."

Alison closed her eyes and let herself get lost in that dream. She hoped that they were right and it was easy to fool Danny. They would be in so much trouble if they couldn't get the money in time.

~ o ~

Unfortunately for the family, it wasn't just Danny's new acquaintances who planned something bad behind their backs. Ethan was sitting in his study again, drumming with his fingers impatiently. It had been hours since his last message to Danny but the stupid boy hadn't replied since then. He hated waiting. He enjoyed this game but waiting wasn't his thing. And Danny didn't play as expected anymore. He barely wrote him back and there was nothing useful in his messages. He had to do something about it.

Smiling, he opened another message. He was determined not to give Blaine's family any second of peace and he believed that his best chance was to destroy the family from the inside. He had been watching them for a long while now, he knew all of their weaknesses. It would be so easy to manipulate them.

Smiling, he copied the link from the message and sent it to Danny with a short, innocent looking message. That was surely something the boy wouldn't ignore.

"Let the fun begin" Ethan whispered. He wished he could be there to see how Blaine reacted when he found out about this.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.

Kurt decided to talk to Danny before school the next morning. Now that some of their friends knew about the engagement, they had to tell the boy as soon as possible. The last thing he wanted to let Danny learn the news from somebody else. Their relationship wasn't the best lately, it surely wouldn't help. 

As he walked downstairs early that morning to make breakfast for his family, Kurt was surprised to find Danny already awake, preparing his breakfast.

"Good morning" Kurt greeted him.

Danny didn't say a single word. Kurt frowned as he walked closer to him.

"Are you still angry for being grounded?" he asked.

Still nothing.

"Come on, you know why..."

"I don't want to talk to you" Danny said.

"We can't do this anymore, Danny" Kurt sighed. "Let's talk about it, okay?"

"Why should we? It's not like you tell me anything. You surely don't care about me anymore" Danny said.

"Is there something wrong?" Kurt asked.

"You know exactly what's wrong" Danny replied.

"Good morning, guys" Blaine said happily as he joined the others but his smile dropped as soon as he looked at the others. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea" Kurt admitted and turned back to Danny. "Just tell me what bothers you."

"What bothers me is you two leaving me out of everything" Danny replied. "I know everything. Didn't you think I would find out somehow?"

"We wanted to tell you but..."

"But it wasn't important. I wasn't important" Danny interrupted Blaine. "And it looks like I'll never be. Not anymore."

"Danny, this doesn't have to change anything" Kurt said. He finally understood what was going on. Danny had somehow found out about the engagement. "Look, you're right. We should have told you earlier but it came so suddenly and then you didn't talk to me, so..."

"So it's my fault. Of course" Danny nodded angrily. "It's not like I have a say in this. You already decided what to do, so... I guess I have to accept it."

"Well, we thought you would be happy for us" Blaine smiled as he pulled Kurt into his arms. "Maybe help us prepare..."

"No" Danny shook his head. "You can do whatever you want but don't expect me to help you in this."

"Aren't you happy?" Kurt asked hesitantly. He had hoped that Danny would be happy to see them getting married after all these years.

"Happy? It's every foster kid's nightmare!" Danny shouted.

"Am I the only one missing something?" Blaine asked in confusion.

Danny grabbed his bag from the ground and threw it over his shoulder.

"At least you should have told me before I found out from the news" he said quietly. "I thought I was part of this family and not just a burden to you. I guess I was wrong."

He pushed himself away from the counter and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Kurt asked.

"To school" Danny answered.

"Wait" Kurt said as he and Blaine followed Danny. "Give me five minutes. I'll just grab my coat and..."

"I'm perfectly capable of finding the school alone" Danny said and before the adults could reply, he walked through the front door and slammed it closed. Kurt wanted to follow him but Blaine grabbed his arm.

"Leave him" he said gently.

"We have to talk about this" Kurt said.

"We will" Blaine nodded. "Tonight, once everyone is back from work. We have to find out why it bothers him so much."

Kurt nodded in agreement. He had no idea why Danny was so upset. It was just a wedding after all, it didn't change anything.

~ o ~

It turned out Danny wasn't the only one acting weirdly. Kurt barely got out of his car at the studio and he was surrounded by his curious co-workers.

"Congrats, Kurt!"

"So is it true?"

"It was about time!"

Kurt didn't know what to say. He knew it came with being famous, they couldn't really hide things like this and there were always people too curious or too honest. This time, as he slowly made his way inside, he heard everything he didn't want to. He didn't understand why people thought he was deaf, they didn't even try to keep their voices down as he walked inside. So he heard everything. Most of his co-workers were happy for him and Blaine but some of them didn't really seem to like that they were going to get married. Most of the younger girls, of course. Kurt had dealt with this before, hell, he had to deal with this every single day. No wonder, his boyfr- fiancé was hot and everyone wanted him. He should be glad he was the one Blaine had chosen when he could have had anyone else.

Things didn't get better during the day. Kurt heard some more hateful comments and it made him hard to work. He accepted when someone criticized his work, that was fine. He wasn't perfect either and he knew he needed those critiques to become a better actor. But judging him for loving someone? What the hell was wrong with these people?

He decided to check on that article later. He had to figure out who and how had found out about them and make the right steps. Not during work, though. He barely had time for lunch between shooting different scenes. But before he could do anything, the director asked him for an emergency meeting with the producers. God, it couldn't be good.

"So, Kurt" he started once the door was closed behind them. "I think we should talk."

"Talk about what?" Kurt asked innocently. It wasn't like he wanted to lie about his private life but he didn't think they had to talk about it so privately either. It was just a wedding, why were people so curious? He had nothing to discuss with these people.

"We are really happy for you" the other man said hesitantly. "You know that we are like a family here and we support each other."

"Thank you" Kurt smiled. That was right, they were always nice to him.

"That's why we need to know how you and your partner plan to do this" one of the producers said. "This is a huge project and we don't want another lead actor. We are satisfied with your work here..."

"Why would you need another actor?" Kurt frowned. "It's not like I'm leaving..."

"Well, this is what makes us worried" the producer said, handing Kurt his tablet.

Kurt looked down at the article. It was surely what Danny had read that morning and what the others were talking about. He went through the text quickly and gasped as he figured out what they were talking about. It was a report, with Blaine, who talked about... His future children with Kurt.

"This-this is a mistake" Kurt said, not believing that Blaine not only talked about this behind his back but also told the reporter that Kurt would stay with their kids at home until they grew older. "We... we don't want any..."

"You don't have to tell us about your future plans but we need to know if you're planning to leave us" the producer said.

"I-I have to talk to Blaine" Kurt said in the end. As soon as possible.

~ o ~

Blaine had no idea why everyone kept smiling at him. He loved when people were happy but it wasn't a good day, at least not for him. He still couldn't get Danny's reaction out of his head. He had thought that he would be happy that he and Kurt finally got married after all these years and wouldn't act like this. It wasn't like it changed anything... He didn't plan to change his name and Kurt would surely keep his own as well. They would still live together, they would only have a paper about their status. He didn't believe in those 'It changes your life forever' theories. He just wanted to show Kurt that he still loved him and planned to stay with him until his dying day. Why it made Danny so upset, he had no idea.

He had some more time before the Warbler meeting, so he sat down in his office to go through that article. He had to call Tina as well because even if they knew it would go public soon, it wasn't okay that someone shared the news with their fans without permission. He had to see what they were dealing with. But before he could do anything, somebody knocked on his door. Blaine looked up and was about to stand up, but then the door opened and Jeff stepped inside.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anything" he said.

"Of course not" Blaine smiled. "You are early."

"I saw the news in the morning and wanted to talk to you before the meeting" Jeff explained. "Congratulations! You certainly know how to surprise your friends."

"What are you talking about?" Blaine frowned. "We told you yesterday."

"Well, not the best part" Jeff replied.

"What are you talking about?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"The baby, of course" Jeff said. "I can't believe you're gonna be dad soon. I mean, I know you have Danny but it'll be different..."

"Wait a second" Blaine stopped him, still not knowing what this was about. "Baby?"

"Yes" Jeff nodded. "The one you talked about in the report."

"Which report?" Blaine asked. He had no idea what was going on.

"You are a great actor, you know?" Jeff smirked. "You seem like you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"Because I honestly don't know" Blaine explained. "There's no baby. Yes, we're getting married but having a hormonal teenager around is more than enough. We don't want a baby."

"Are you sure?" Jeff asked. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and a few seconds later, he pressed it into Blaine's hands. "Because that's certainly not what you said."

Blaine went through the report and his eyes grew wide as he read what he had told... Or better, hadn't told the reporter. There wasn't a single word about his engagement with Kurt but pages about how they would raise their own child they wanted so much together. And the details how Blaine planned their future that didn't include Danny at all and made it look like Blaine wanted Kurt to give up his career and stay home to raise their kids.

"This isn't true" Blaine said quietly. "I would never..."

"Blaine Anderson!"

Blaine jumped as Kurt walked through the door without waiting for his permission, seemingly pissed off. He must have read the article as well.

"I can explain" Blaine said hastily.

"I hope you do because you're in huge trouble this time" Kurt said. "How dare you say things like this without discussing them with me? Do you think that now that we are engaged you can decide everything on your own?"

"Kurt, stop..." Blaine said.

"I thought we agreed that we didn't have time for more kids" Kurt continued. "We already have one, by the way. Fine, he might not be your own, but I thought you considered us as your family. Both of us! How do you think it makes Danny feel?"

"Kurt, calm down" Blaine said hastily. Kurt had to stop, so he could explain everything. "I didn't say these things..."

"They made a report with you" Kurt said.

"No, they didn't!" Blaine almost shouted. "Somebody is fooling with us, don't you see?"

That made Kurt stop, finally. He took a deep breath, biting his lower lip.

"It wasn't you?" he asked.

"Of course not!" Blaine said. He seriously had to prove Kurt that he would never talk about him like this behind his back? "I love you, Kurt. I would never make a decision concerning our family without you and especially not one that makes Danny look like an outsider."

Kurt closed his eyes and took another deep breath.

"But who..."

"I have no idea" Blaine said. "I'll ask Tina to find out, though."

"We also need a correction" Kurt sighed. "God, I can't believe someone did this to us!"

"Me neither" Blaine sighed and pulled Kurt into his arms. "Don't worry, honey. I will take care of it."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you" Kurt said quietly. "I just..."

"I know" Blaine said and kissed Kurt's forehead. "It's gonna be okay."

Whoever did this, Blaine would find them and make them pay. He wouldn't let anyone mess with his family like this, even if it was only a joke.

~ o ~

It seemed like he only had horrible days lately. Just when he thought his dads couldn't hurt him more, Pete sent him that article that changed everything. Kurt and Blaine hadn't even bothered to tell him before making it public... It hurt so much. Not only because they left out of things, but also because it felt like they wanted to replace him... With a baby. An annoying, crying little monster. And he had found out from the news.

"It's a good thing, right?" Alison asked later that afternoon when Danny asked her to meet him. He skipped his last class to meet her but he didn't care. He needed someone who understood him.

"It's not" Danny said.

"Why? Babies are cute" Alison said.

"See? That's why I don't want them to have one" Danny said. "They'll love the baby a lot more than me and they'll forget about me completely."

"Ah, you are jealous" Alison smiled.

"I'm not" Danny muttered. It wasn't true, though. He was jealous. He knew that once Kurt and Blaine had their own child, they wouldn't care about him anymore. He wasn't truly their son after all, even if they had made him feel like he was so far. But once they had their own kid, Danny wouldn't matter anymore. He was only a replacement because Blaine and Kurt hadn't been ready to have their own child so far but it seemed like that time was going to end soon. It was just the matter of time and somebody else would take Danny's place. What would happen to him then? Maybe they would send him back to that private school to get rid of him...

"Well, it's not like you can do anything to stop them" Alison shrugged.

"I know" Danny whispered.

They stayed quiet for a long time after that. Danny kept his eyes closed, enjoying Alison's touch on his hair.

"I like your hair" Alison said after a while. "It makes you look so cute."

Danny sighed in frustration and pushed himself up to a sitting position to face Alison. He hated when people called him cute, especially when it was the girl he liked so much.

"I don't want to be cute" he said. "See? That's why people treat me like shit. Because I'm a cute little boy and I wouldn't do anything to defend myself. That's why kids in the school keep making fun of me."

"I'm sorry" Alison sai quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's fine" Danny sighed. "It's not your fault anyway. I became a loser the second I was born."

"Is it your hair that bothers you so much?" Alison asked. "Because it's something you can easily change."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"The important question is, do you have enough money to change your look?" Alison asked.

Danny thought at the nearly 3000 dollars on his account.

"More than enough, actually" he nodded slowly.

Alison smiled in satisfaction.

~ o ~

"What should we tell him?" Kurt asked in concern as he and Blaine walked to their front door later that evening.

"The truth, of course" Blaine shrugged.

"I think we should forget about his punishment, too" Kurt suggested. "Believing that we would replace him with a baby for a whole day had to be worse than being grounded for a week."

"You might be right" Blaine nodded as he opened the door. "It's not like we... Oh, God."

Both them stopped at the door of the living room. They needed almost a whole minute to recognize the person sitting on the couch. It was Danny but he certainly didn't look like usually. His clothes were all black, just like his nails, and his hair...

"Hey, guys" Danny greeted them, seemingly enjoying their stunned faces.

"What happened to your... everything?" Kurt asked, gesturing widely towards his son. 

"This is my new style" Danny replied.

"Your new... Are your nails polished?" Kurt asked in disbelief.

"This is the 21th century, Kurt" Danny rolled his eyes. "I might try a new color, though. But what do you think about my hair?"

"Wel... Uhm... It's certainly..." Blaine didn't find the right words.

"Blue" Kurt helped him out. He blinked a few times, hoping that the dark blue color of Danny's hair would disappear but it didn't happen.

"Yeah... It's definitely blue" Blaine nodded in agreement, his eyes just as wide as Kurt's.

"I know" Danny said excitedly. "I can't believe I never thought about it before! Thank God I have Alison and her great ideas now."

"So it was Alison's idea" Blaine said slowly. He started to understand things. "She's your new friend, right?"

"Sort of" Danny shrugged.

"Sort of" Kurt repeated.

"Uhm... don't you think you should discuss things like... dying your hair blue with us before actually doing it?" Blaine asked hesitantly.

"Why should I?" Danny asked, that angry flame from before appearing in his eyes again. "It's not like you care."

He stood up and started walking towards the stairs.

"Danny, wait" Kurt called after him. "We have to talk about this..."

But Danny was already gone.

"Great" Blaine muttered. "Is that how he'll act every time we want to talk to him?"

"No" Kurt said determinedly. "I won't let that happen. Give me half on hour. I make us something for dinner and then we'll sit down and discuss everything. Together."

"Okay" Blaine sighed heavily. He had a bad feeling that it wouldn't be that easy.

At least Danny was willing to eat with them this time. Blaine was surprised when he let him know that dinner was ready and the boy joined him without a word. They sat down in the dining room together but none of them actually ate their dinner. Danny kept his eyes on his food but was only playing with it and the adults were watching him in concern. Teenage years or not, Danny usually wasn't like this. He only acted so weirdly since he knew that girl and it made both adults worried.

"So... Uhm... You can wash it off, right?" Kurt asked hesitantly, his eyes on Danny's hair. Blue... What the hell was this boy thinking?

"Yeah" Danny said quietly, not looking at Kurt. "But I don't want to. Alison likes it."

Kurt took a deep breath and forced himself not to make any comment involving that girl. It wouldn't do any good for them.

"Danny, we should talk about something" Blaine said, seeing that Kurt couldn't not think about the changes in his son's look. 

"It's okay" Danny smiled weakly. "Congrats, guys. A baby... That's a huge thing. And permanent."

"And not true" Kurt replied.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"That report is fake" Blaine explained. "I never said such things about you two and we definitely don't want a baby now."

"Oh" Danny said in surprise. "But why would someone do this?"

"To hurt us, I guess" Kurt shrugged. "Considering how upset you were in the morning, they did a great job."

Danny turned his head away, ashamed.

"You really don't want a little sibling, right?" Blaine smiled.

Danny just shook his head in response.

"Is that because babies are annoying or..."

"It's because it would be real" Danny explained, knowing how stupid he sounded. "You would have a kid on your own and you wouldn't..."

"What, honey?" Kurt asked gently when Danny fell silent.

"You wouldn't need me anymore" Danny muttered.

Kurt glanced at Blaine, only to find him looking just as surprised as he felt. He had never thought that Danny had such fears.

"Are you scared that we wouldn't love you if we had a baby?" Blaine asked.

"Yes" Danny whispered. "It would be completely different. You would have a baby because you want one and not because you got stuck with your dead friends' kid."

"Danny…" Kurt didn't know what to say. He loved Danny like his own and he knew for sure that nothing could change that. He didn't raise Danny because he had no choice but also because he loved the boy.

"Hey, look at me" Blaine said. 

Danny slowly raised his head.

"I have no idea why you think that way, but I think we already showed you that you are more than just a foster kid for us" Blaine continued.

"We love you like our own son, Danny. And there is nothing that could change that" Kurt said gently. "You are wrong. Sure, I freaked out when your parents died and I got custody of you but not because I didn't want you. I was only a few years older than you now. I had no real plans for the future, I had no money, not even a real job and then, suddenly, I had to take care of another human being. It's a lot to take in, believe me."

Danny's smile was honest this time, much to Kurt's relief.

"But you are the best present I have ever gotten from life" Kurt continued. "I don't regret accepting you for a second. Honestly, that was the darkest time of my life and you saved me. I wouldn't be here now without you."

"That's not true" Danny said. 

"It is" Kurt replied. "I love you, Danny. We both love you. And even if we decide to have a baby on our own in the far future, we'll always love you like our own child."

"Just like I love you like my real parents" Danny smirked.

"Come here" Kurt said as he stood up and walked to hug the boy, smiling as Blaine joined them.

"Now that we are fine, we want to tell you something, though" Blaine said after a while.

"It's not something bad I hope" Danny said in worry.

"No" Kurt said excitedly. "Blaine and I are getting married."

There was no awkward silence this time. Once Kurt shared the news with him, Danny cried out happily and hugged both men again.

"That's amazing, guys!" he said.

"For real this time?" Blaine asked.

"Absolutely!" Danny said. "Can I be your best man?"

"You are too young for that" Blaine laughed.

"But you can help me plan everything" Kurt said.

"Everything?" Danny smirked.

"Nothing extravagant, okay?" Blaine asked quickly. "I want a simple ceremony. Just you two, Burt, Carole and our closest friends."

"Exactly" Kurt nodded in agreement. "We had enough trouble with this article. We don't need more lunatics spreading lies about us."

"I'm sorry about that" Danny said guiltily. "I should have asked you about it but when my friend sent me that link and I read the article..."

"It's fine" Kurt said. "You finally know the truth. Although you should talk to us next time before you dye your hair again."

"I can't promise anything" Danny laughed.

Kurt sighed as he glanced at the boy's blue hair for a second, not knowing when he would be able to get used to the sight. Probably never. But he hoped that now that they were back to normal, Danny would get this craziness out of his head soon and return to his usual look.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.

Blaine leaned against the wall as he watched Kurt hitting the punching bag over and over again. It had become Kurt's newest hobby in the previous few weeks. He often spent his free time in the basement, either training with Blaine or on his own. Blaine had been so proud of him at first. He was glad that Kurt finally wanted to learn how to defend himself, it was certainly something he could use later. But Kurt spent more and more time in the gym and Blaine started getting worried about him. 

He knew why Kurt spent so much time down here. After their big family talk a few weeks earlier, it seemed like everything was back to normal. At least for a few days. But Danny had started to turn away from them again and it was something that bothered both of them, especially Kurt. It wasn't like before. Danny still talked to them and they managed to prevent fights over the previous weeks. But something had changed and none of them was sure that those changes were right.

Danny didn't spend much time at home. He was usually with Alison after school, the girl they still didn't know. From that little information Danny had told them about her, it seemed like they were together, even if the boy tried to deny it. He always smiled when he talked about Alison and blushed when his fathers asked him about them. So there must have been something going on between him and that girl. 

It didn't concern Blaine as much as it did Kurt. He didn't think it was right that Danny didn't tell them anything and spent so much time away from home. They often didn't even know where Danny spent his afternoons and that was what made Kurt so worried. Maybe he was a little overprotective but his instincts told him that that girl wasn't right for Danny and their relationship could only end badly. Danny didn't listen to him, of course, and Kurt gave up after a while, knowing that he would only push his son away if he continued talking to him about his wrong choices.

So Kurt tried to keep his frustration in him, or better give it out on the punching bag. Blaine was glad he found a way to relax but he wasn't sure if all those trainings were good for his fiancé. 

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked in concern.

"Perfectly fine" Kurt said, raising his leg to kick the punching bag this time.

"You don't look fine" Blaine pointed out.

"It's almost 6" Kurt said after a while.

"Uhm… yes?" Blaine said uncertainly. He had no idea what Kurt wanted to say with this.

"He should be home" Kurt said. "He has to do his homework, not to mention that he'll miss dinner. Again."

"Oh, so that's why you are worried" Blaine smirked. "I guess he'll grab something with Alison."

"Alison" Kurt muttered quietly.

"You know, it almost seems like you are jealous" Blaine smirked.

"I'm just worried about him" Kurt replied.

"He is 15, Kurt" Blaine said. "It's completely normal that he has a girlfriend."

"That's not what makes me worried" Kurt said. He stopped hitting the punching bag and turned to Blaine. "You can make a research on her, right?"

"You want me to find her dirty little secrets?" Blaine smirked.

"Exactly" Kurt nodded. "Something isn't right with that girl. I can feel it."

"Kurt…" Blaine sighed.

"You have to believe me" Kurt said as he stepped to Blaine. "I have this feeling about her I can't explain. Something is wrong with her."

"And you think that Danny'll break up with her if we proove him that that girl isn't right for him?" Blaine asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We can try" Kurt shrugged.

"I think we should talk to him about something else" Blaine said hesitantly.

"About what?" Kurt asked.

"Sex" Blaine said.

Kurt was about to go back to train but Blaine's words made him stop. He slowly turned back around, his eyes impossibly wide.

"No way" Kurt said slowly.

"Look, I know you have trouble accepting that he isn't a small kid anymore…"

"He can't have sex with that girl" Kurt said desperately. "She… Blaine, you have to believe me. Something is not right with her."

"Because she told him to dye his hair?" Blaine smirked.

"And changed his whole wardrobe" Kurt said. "Have you seen that shirt he bought yesterday? It's not even a real shirt, it barely covers anything from his chest."

Blaine's smile grew wider. Yeah, Kurt definitely had some trouble accepting that his little boy wasn't a little boy anymore.

"First his clothes, than alcohol… God, what if she makes him try drugs?" Kurt asked in concern.

"You should definitely stop" Blaine said and stepped to Kurt to pull him into his arms. "It'll be fine. Although we can ask him to invite that girl for dinner someday. We can get to know her if it makes you feel any better."

"That's a good idea" Kurt nodded.

"Promise me something" Blaine said quietly.

"What?" Kurt asked.

"Don't make comments about Alison" Blaine said. "Believe me, it wouldn't do us any good."

Kurt sighed heavily. He knew that Blaine was right, of course. He still remembered what he had been like at the age of 15, he never listened to his father, especially when he had been right about something.

"Fine" he said finally. "But make a research on her."

Blaine sighed and shook his head. It was so hard to convince Kurt not to stress too much.

~ o ~

"Sit down" Blaine said the next evening. Danny had gotten home earlier for change and they decided to talk to him now, not knowing when they would have another chance.

"Is something wrong?" Danny asked in concern.

"Uhm… We think we should talk about something… serious" Blaine said hesitantly.

"You mean you think we should talk about it" Kurt replied. He still wasn't sure if it was the right time for this. Danny was too young for this. He finally understood what his father had meant when he had told Kurt that his first time would be a great present for his 30th birthday. He hadn't understood his dad then but now that he was in the same situation, he felt like he couldn't give his own kid a better advice.

"Talk about what?" Danny asked in confusion.

"We aren't those kind of parents who act like they are blind, hoping that their kids won't do anything stupid" Blaine started. "We noticed that your… relationship with Alison is getting serious…"

"We're just friends" Danny said quickly but the blush on his cheeks betrayed him. They were definitely more than friends. They spent most of their time together, they were over a few dates and Alison even kissed him once, so… They were sort of together.

"Of course" Blaine said. "Since we don't want to be grandparents anytime soon, we think you should have this."

Danny's face was deep red as he took the small box of condoms from Blaine with shaky hands.

"It doesn't mean you should use it" Kurt said quickly.

"We just want you to have condoms in case…"

"There's no rush…"

"...You get more heated than expected..."

"...It's completely fine if you don't feel ready…"

"...We just want you to be safe if you two…"

"...Don't let her push you. It's a huge thing…"

"...Decide to take that step."

"...And it's okay if you won't feel ready anytime soon. In case, I think you should wait a few more years. Until you understand everything perfectly. Until your 30th birthday, for example. That's a perfect age to lose your virginity" Kurt said nervously.

Both Blaine and Danny raised an eyebrow as they looked at Kurt.

"The point is, it's a huge step to take and we don't want you to do anything in rush. Your first time should be special. It's something you can never do again and you should give it to someone you trust unconditionally" Kurt said. 

"We only want you to have those condoms in case you and Alison decide to take that step" Blaine explained. "Always use protection. Don't trust girls. They often say they take pills or that they can't get pregnant from one time…"

"...That's a lie" Kurt nodded in agreement.

"...Not to mention the diseases you can catch" Blaine continued. 

Danny looked like he was ready to pass out.

"We can show you how to put it up…"

"No!" Danny said hastily. 

"We have cucumber in the fridge" Kurt said as he turned to Blaine.

"There are surely descriptions on the Internet" Danny said. This talk was the most ambarrassing one he had ever had with his dads. He just wanted to get over with it and flee into his room.

"If you have questions about anything, just ask us. We'll try to answer them the best we can" Blaine said in the end.

Danny was pretty sure that he would never ask them about sex.

"Now that we are done here… Do you want some snacks?" Kurt asked.

"I-I think I'll go back to my room" Danny said. "I have some more homework to do."

"Don't forget this" Blaine said when Danny tried to flee without his box of condoms. Danny reached for the small packet and quickly pushed it into his pocket, determined to hide it from sight for a very-very long time.

~ o ~

"The sex talk?" Alison laughed as Danny told her about his talk with his dads the next day.

"It's not funny" Danny muttered. "It was the most embarrassing half hour of my life."

"That's so cute" Alison said. "Your dads must love you."

Danny sighed. Sometimes it felt like they only wanted to ruin his life but he knew they loved him. Even if they had such weird ways to show him.

"What do you want to do after school?" Danny asked to change topic. He didn't want to talk about sex. He still thought that they could have waited with this talk for a very-very long time. Okay, he was curious, he read a lot, but he certainly didn't feel like he wanted more than kisses for a while. Luckily, Alison didn't push him into anything. She wasn't like that.

Alison glanced around nervously. She didn't attend Danny's school, she only skipped her last classes to join Danny. Or so the boy believed. Luckily, no one asked questions about her and she was never stopped when she walked inside. She looked like a high school student after all. It didn't mean she felt well in this place but everything for their plan...

"Do you want to go to the mall? I saw a beautiful shirt the other day and I want to see if it fits" Alison said.

Danny sighed. That was what they usually did. Alison liked clothes and accessories, so they often went to the mall to buy new items for her. Well, Danny bought her those clothes. He had offered Alison to buy her things once and she had accepted gladly. Like every other time. Danny didn't really mind, he had a lot of money he couldn't spend on himself after all and it made Alison happy.

"Sure" Danny smiled.

"Uhm… I would like to ask for a favor, too" Alison said quietly, seemingly ashamed.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

Alison took a deep breath before continuing.

"I… My father lost his job" Alison lied. "We can't pay the bills…"

"God, that's horrible" Danny said.

"...So I thought… If you could borrow me some money…"

Danny sighed sadly.

"I would love to but I only have my credit card" he said. "I can ask my dads, though. They would surely help you and your family."

"I don't think it's a good idea" Alison said hastily.

"They are great. They always help people, I'm sure they would…"

Danny saw the movement from the corner of his eyes and ducked his head just in time to avoid the slushie thrown at him. Alison, on the other hand, wasn't that fast, and the cold, blue liquid hit her right in her face. Danny stood up immediately to check on the girl who was still frozen in shock.

"Beautiful, isn't it, Schuester?" the boy who slushied Alison asked. Seth, Danny's classmate, the boy he hated so much, "Now her hair matches yours."

Danny dropped his bag onto the ground and threw himseld at the boy.

"Danny, don't!" Alison said but Danny didn't listen to her. He grabbed Seth by his shoulders, pushed him down onto the ground and punched him.

"What's going on here?" 

Danny didn't stop hitting Seth as a teacher made his way towards them. Alison, on the other hand, saw the danger and knew that she could get caught, so she ran out of the building as soon as she could. Danny didn't even see her leave as the teacher grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him away from Seth.

"What do you think you are doing?" the teacher asked him.

"He started it" Danny replied and surged forward again, only to be held back by the teacher.

"Principal's office. Now" the teacher said.

Danny couldn't believe they blamed him when it wasn't even him who started the whole fight. It was all Seth's fault, he had hurt Alison, he couldn't get away with it.

"I'll call your parents" the teacher said.

Danny gulped nervously. If they called Kurt and Blaine, it meant that they would come to the school and it also meant that everyone would know who he really was… He screwed up everything.

~ o ~

Kurt tried not to be too angry as he stepped through the school's door. He didn't know much but they had told him that Danny had gotten into a fight and hit another student. He had to leave work immediately since Blaine was on an important meeting and he couldn't bother him with such things. It was better if he dealt with this anyway. Blaine surely wouldn't be able to stay calm and that was what they needed right now.

Danny was already in the principal's office as Kurt arrived. He was sitting in a chair in front of the principal's desk, staring at the ground.

"Thank you for coming in, Mr Hummel" the principal said as Kurt stepped inside.

"It's an emergency" Kurt said, glaring at Danny as he sat down beside him.

"It certainly is" the principal nodded.

"What happened?" Kurt asked.

"Daniel hit another student" the principal said.

"He started it!" Danny said.

"Danny!" Kurt hissed.

"It's true! He slushied Alison, what else was I supposed to do?" Danny asked.

"What was Alison doing here?" Kurt asked. He didn't know much about the girl but he knew that she attended another school.

Danny turned pale, not knowing what to say. He was caught.

"Other schools' students are not allowed in here" the principal reminded Danny. "But it's not what I want to talk about. Mr Hummel, there are serious problems with your son."

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.

"This fight is just the top of the iceberg" the principal said. "Many of his teachers reported that they have trouble with Daniel. He talks back to the teachers, doesn't do his homework and often falls asleep, if he arrives to his classes at all."

"You skipped your classes?" Kurt gasped as he turned to Danny

"I wasn't feeling well…" Danny tried to explain.

"Three times just this week and it's only Wednesday" the principal said.

"I… I don't know what to say" Kurt said awkwardly. He had never been in this situation before. "We didn't know about this…"

"Mr Hummel, I know that you and your partner are busy, but I suggest you to spend more time with Daniel" the principal said. "Believe me, I have seen this before. Children usually act like this when they don't get the attention they need."

Kurt bit his lip nervously. He knew he had screwed up a few things but he didn't think it was so serious.

"I also suggest you to find him a therapist who helps him with his anger issues" the principal said. "I hope that two weeks of suspension will be enough to deal with that."

"I'm suspended?" Danny asked with wide eyes. "But…"

"Thank you, principal" Kurt said quickly. The last thing they needed was Danny's comment. He was pretty sure that it wouldn't be nice. "Let's go, Danny."

He grabbed Danny's arm and led him out of the office before Danny could say something to make things worse. Kurt had heard enough, he didn't need more trouble. It was hard to avoid, though. Now everyone knew that he was in the building and he could barely push themselves through the wall of curious students. He was relieved when they finally escaped and he quickly led Danny to his car.

"Kurt, I…"

"We'll talk about it at home" Kurt said sternly.

Danny bit his lower lip and turned his head away. Kurt was disappointed in him. He had never been before and it felt so bad to see him like this. He wasn't looking forward to that conversation at home either. He was pretty sure that the punishment he got for this would be really bad.

~ o ~

Alison hissed as Jay and Ryan helped her get the remainings of ice out of her clothes. She had never been slushied before and she certainly didn't want to be again. It was so cold that it practically hurt, and the blue liquid ruined her hair and her clothes as well. Not to mention that she couldn't get what she wanted from Danny. This whole afternoon was a waste.

"Don't worry, honey" Jay tried to cheer her up. "You have a change of clothes, right? That Sam guy won't notice anything."

"It's Ken" Alison said. "I think I'll call off that date. One loser was enough for today."

"Did you get the money?" Jay asked.

"No" Alison said. "He doesn't have cash."

"Shit" Jay muttered. 

"Yeah, huge shit" Alison said. "I wasted three whole weeks for him and he doesn't even have money."

"Then forget about him" Jay shrugged and pressed his phone into Alison's hand. "Call Sam. You have to meet him today. And do a better job with him, we really need that money."

"Ken" Alison muttered as she went through the names of boys and girls they fooled for their money to find Ken's number.

"Guys, look" Ryan said, nodding towards the school's building.

"What?" Alison asked in a bored tone as Danny left with a guy who was surely his father.

"It's Kurt Hummel" Ryan said excitedly.

"Who?" Jay asked in confusion.

"Blaine Anderson's boyfriend" Alison explained for him. 

"Oh, that actor" Jay nodded slowly.

"Yeah, that actor" Ryan nodded. "The biggest name of the city. I saw all of his movies!"

"Should I get you an autograph or what?" Alison asked.

"Don't you get it?" Ryan asked. "Danny's dads are not just rich, they are probably the richest couple of the whole world."

"It doesn't matter if we can't get that money" Alison said.

"Maybe we can" Jay smiled. "New plan, guys. Forget about everyone else and focus on Danny. We only need him."

"What do you mean?" Alison asked.

"Why should we waste our time to fool all those kids when Danny's parents are rich enough to pay a whole fortune for us without trouble?" Jay asked.

"And how do you want to get their money?" Alison asked sceptically. "I'm pretty sure they won't give us anything just because Danny likes me."

"No, they won't" Jay agreed. "If it means getting him back safely, on the other hand..."

"You want to kidnap him?" Ryan asked with wide eyes.

"Just borrow him for a few days" Jay shrugged. "I'm pretty sure we can convince Danny to meet us in a deserted area. We only have to bring him to a safe place where they can't find us, keep him there for a while to scare his fathers and then ask for ransom."

"It's too risky" Alison said.

"I'm tired of dating girls who disgust me" Jay said. "Weren't you the one complaining about how exhausting fooling all these kids was? Here is the easy way to get the money, why don't you take it?"

"Jay is right" Ryan said quietly.

Alison watched as Danny and his father left, thinking. It would be such an easy job. Danny was a naive kid and always believed her. It would be so easy to lure him to a safe place and catch him. She wouldn't have to date losers anymore. They would get the money in no time, pay the debt and get out of the city. They wouldn't get caught and they would be able to be happy with Jay without worrying about the money.

"Let's do it" she said in the end.

"Good decision, my dear" Jay said as he pulled her into his arms. "Very good."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!

Blaine knew that something was wrong the second he left the meeting and it turned out that Kurt had left a note for him, letting him know that something happened to Danny and he should head home as soon as possible. Blaine got home just a few minutes before the others arrived. He could tell that Kurt was very angry as they stepped through the door. He held Danny's arm tightly as he ushered him into the living room.

"What happened?" Blaine asked carefully.

"He went into a fight. Again" Kurt said.

"He started it" Danny muttered for the 10th time that day.

"You did what?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, that's not everything" Kurt continued. "The young man thinks that he doesn't need education. He skips his classes and even when he goes to his classes, he doesn't pay attention, doesn't do his homework and on the top of that, he is rude to the teachers."

"What the hell, Danny?" Blaine asked with wide eyes. It was definitely something none of them expected.

Danny looked away and didn't say anything. It wasn't important what he said anyway. He would get punished, probably be grounded again and they wouldn't let him see Alison anytime soon.

"Look at me" Kurt said, somewhat calmer this time as he sat down beside Danny. "Is there something that bothers you? Is it true that you act like this because we don't spend enough time with you?"

"No" Danny said quietly.

"Then why, Danny? You'll ruin your life if you continue doing this. Education is very important. How do you want to go to college when you miss your classes and get horrible notes?"

"It doesn't matter" Danny shrugged. "I won't go to college anyway."

"Excuse me?" Blaine asked in surprise.

"I thought about it but I won't need college anyway. I don't want to waste years of my life for something I won't need later" Danny said.

"You need a degree" Kurt said slowly, feeling frustrated again. "What else do you want to do with your life?"

"I'll be a rockstar like Blaine" Danny said as he looked at Blaine. "You didn't need a degree for the band either."

"He has a point" Blaine muttered, much to Kurt's annoyance.

"You should know how risky this lifestyle is" Kurt said. "Even if you manage to have a famous band, you could part any time, not to mention what will happen if you can't keep up your fan base. What if people won't like your songs. It's easy to get five minutes of fame but keeping it up… that's another case. You need to get a degree, so you'll have different options, even if we won't be around anymore to help you out if necessary."

"My band will be famous" Danny said determinedly.

"You don't even have one" Kurt pointed out.

"I do" Danny disagreed.

"Excuse me?" Kurt asked.

"I do have a band" Danny repeated slowly.

"Since when? And why don't we know about it?" Blaine asked.

"Since I didn't get in the glee club and missed music. It was Alison's idea…"

"That girl. Again" Kurt groaned.

"...And it worked! There's a competition coming up and we have good chances to win it…"

"Oh, come on, Danny. Wake up!" Kurt said. Okay, maybe he was rude, but it was a long day and he didn't like how Alison changed his son. "Even if you win that competition, it doesn't change anything. But if you get kicked out of school, it'll affect your whole life!"

Danny sighed, shaking his head.

"Why don't you support me?" he asked.

"We are trying but it seems like all you do is trying to ruin your future!" Kurt shouted.

Danny inhaled deeply. Kurt never yelled at him, he just wasn't that type. He barely even saw him angry. He certainly didn't like where this conversation went.

"I'll be in my room" Danny said quietly. "I know. I'm grounded for the rest of my life and banned from school for two whole weeks and now you want me to think about my actions. I will."

Kurt rubbed his forehead as the boy left, seemingly not too convinced that they only wanted the best for him. He took a deep breath and turned to Blaine because he was out of ideas.

"What should we do?" he asked desperately. "I-I don't know what to do with him but we can't let him ruin everything."

"I know" Blaine nodded in agreement. "Honestly, I have no idea what we should do. It seems like everything falls apart."

Kurt couldn't agree more. And they didn't even know that it was just the beginning.

~ o ~

Ethan watched the house from safe distance. He wished he could be there to see this but he knew he had to be careful. At least for now. He had to show himself eventually but he didn't want to do it until he played with Blaine a little more. He had enjoyed his previous game, this one would be even better.

Mick raised an eyebrow as he looked at his boss. He certainly didn't like these games as much as Ethan did.

"How long until we actually do something?" Mick asked in a bored tone.

"Soon" Ethan replied and leaned forward to see the two people knock on Blaine's door. "Are the microphones ready?"

"Yes" Mick nodded.

"Very good" Ethan smiled. The door was open and the woman and the man he had sent to play with Blaine's family stepped inside. "They are inside."

"It's getting boring" Mick sighed. "Do you even want revenge? Because it seems like you are scared of facing them."

Ethan pulled out his gun within a blink and pushed the older man to the door, pressing the gun to his head.

"I'm not scared" he said slowly. "I could go in there now and kill his kid but I won't because I know what patience means."

He let go of Mick and turned back towards the house.

"I want to enjoy this" Ethan continued. "I've been planning this for so long, I want to have some fun with them before I actually strike."

"Does it mean we'll attack them soon?" Mick asked hopefully.

"Something like that, my friend" Ethan smiled. He had a very good idea how to take Blaine's family away from him.

~ o ~

Danny almost fell asleep on the couch when someone knocked on the door. He frowned as he sat up and pushed himself up from the couch. He didn't expect anyone this time of the day. He had tried to invite Alison over until his fathers were at work but unfortunately, she was busy and couldn't come to see him that day. Danny groaned as he got another idea of who it could be. After the previous day's fight, Blaine had told him something about getting him a bodyguard - or better a babysitter as Danny thought about it – to watch him when they couldn't be around in case Danny decided to do something stupid. Maybe Blaine was serious and now he got someone to watch him all the time. Great. Just what he needed.

Danny opened the door and frowned as he found an older woman and a man, dressed in formal clothes, standing on the doorstep. They were definitely not bodyguards.

"Uhm… Can I help you?" he asked uncertainly.

"You are Danny, right?" the woman asked. "We are from CPS."

Danny looked at them in concern. It had been a very long time since anyone came to check on them and he didn't even remember when he had last met anyone from CPS. 

"My fathers are not home" he said quietly.

"It's okay. We want to talk to you anyway" the woman said reassuringly.

Danny looked around in concern. Kurt had never told him what to do if something like this happened. Probably because they hadn't seen it coming. He had spent the past 14 years with Kurt and since everything had been alright around them, no one had questioned if Kurt was good enough to raise Danny. He knew that he couldn't actually send these people away. If they were in trouble, they would get in even bigger if he slammed the door into their faces. So he gulped and took a step back to let the adults in.

"Thank you, my dear" the woman said.

"What do you want to talk about?" Danny asked as he led them into the living room but grabbed his phone on the way, prepared for everything. These people scared him.

"We heard that you had trouble in your school" the man said. 

"It was just a misunderstanding" Danny said quickly.

"And we think it's because you have trouble at home, too" the woman said.

"Why is everyone coming with this?" Danny wondered.

"Look, Danny, you can tell us everything" the woman said. "If something makes you scared…"

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

The woman sighed heavily and glanced at his partner.

"We know that Blaine had trouble with the authirities before" she said.

"Blaine? No, that's not possible..."

"We have proofs that he hurt children like you before" the man said. 

"It's okay. We can help you" the woman said.

"I don't need your help! Is-is it even legal that we talk without Kurt and Blaine..." Danny started but the woman cut in.

"It's okay if you are scared. But we can help you. Just tell us everything" the woman said.

"Did he try to… force you to do things you didn't want?" the man continued.

"Of course not!" Danny gasped. Why were these people talking about Blaine like this?

"Maybe he tried to make it seem like it was a good thing" the woman said gently.

"You-you think that he's pedophile?" Danny asked with wide eyes. It was surely a nightmare, it had to be one…

"Danny, if he hurts you, we have to make the right steps" the woman said.

"There are people who would love to help you" the man said. "We contacted your grandparents, they would be happy if you moved to them."

"My-my grandparents?" Danny asked shakily.

"Your mother's parents" the woman explained.

Danny gulped nervously. He didn't want to see those people. He didn't remember much of them but he knew he didn't want to see them ever again. Damn, he shouldn't have missed his classes… 

"It's okay, honey" the woman said. "Just come with us. We'll take care of everything…"

"No!" Danny shouted. He grabbed his phone and unlocked it, ready to call Kurt. "I won't go with you. You can't force me."

"Danny, we only want to help you…"

"Leave!" Danny said. "I-I want you to leave. Now. Or I'll call the police."

"Danny, that man is dangerous" the woman tried to reason.

"No. I don't know where your lies come from but I don't believe you" Danny said. "I want you to leave or else I'll call for help."

"If that's what you want" the woman sighed in the end. 

Danny watched as she and her partner left and when they got out of the house, he quickly locked the door behind them and went to the window to make sure they didn't come back. When he saw them get into the car and leave, he finally relaxed a bit. These people scared him to death, he was still shaking and didn't feel like he could stay at home all alone any longer. So he quickly texted Kurt, hoping that he would be able to come home soon. They needed to talk about this as soon as possible.

~ o ~

By the time Blaine got home from work that day, his whole family was in panic. He frowned as he stepped into the living room, finding Kurt and Danny whispering on the couch. Something was wrong. Again.

"What is it this time?" Blaine sighed heavily. Danny hadn't even left the house that day. How the hell could he get into trouble again?

"Two people came from CPS today" Danny said quietly.

"What?" Blaine gasped.

"They told me that I have to live with my grandparents" Danny said in panic.

"They were here before I got home from work" Kurt said as he pulled Danny into his arms. "It's okay, honey. They can't take you away from us."

"What if they can? I-I don't want to live with my grandparents. Those people are insane!" Danny said.

"They can't have you. We won't let that happen" Kurt said.

"Besides, I don't think they'll want you anymore if we tell them about this" Blaine said, running his fingers through Danny's blue hair, trying to cheer him up.

"They said horrible things" Danny said quietly.

"What did they say?" Blaine asked.

"They told me that you had trouble with the authorities… because you hurt children… sexually" Danny whispered, looking down.

"I told him that it was a lie" Kurt said hastily.

"I know that Blaine would never do that" Danny said as he looked up at the man. "I know."

"Of course not" Blaine said.

"He never did such things" Kurt nodded.

"Well…" Blaine said hesitantly.

Kurt turned to him immediately.

"You didn't, right?" he asked.

"First of all, it wasn't a small child but a 16-year-old boy" Blaine started.

"Blaine!" Kurt gasped.

"And I didn't do anything!" Blaine said. "He lied to his parents and I was arrested but then it turned out I was innocent and they let me go!"

Kurt inhaled deeply. Blaine had never told him about this but he should have known. Way before they were in so much trouble. They were always honest to each other, or so Kurt had believed.

"They'll take me away from you" Danny said.

"No, they won't" Kurt said reassuringly. "We won't let it happen."

"What were they even doing here?" Blaine asked after a while. Something wasn't right with this visit.

"I guess the school reported the fight" Kurt shrugged. "They surely came to check on us because Danny has trouble in school."

"Is it all because of me?" Danny asked. Sure, they had some trouble lately and he had done stupid things to piss his fathers off, but he never meant to do anything bad. And he definitely didn't want to leave. He loved Kurt and Blaine, he didn't want a new family.

"No, it's not" Blaine said.

Danny turned to Kurt for reassurance but the man remained silent.

"It's all because of me" Danny said quietly.

"We had a lot of trouble with you lately" Kurt said.

"I know" Danny said, blinking rapidly. He was on the verge of tears. "I-I know I shouldn't have skipped my classes or be rude to the teachers and I'm so sorry. It won't happen again, I swear. Just please don't let them take me away from you."

Kurt sighed as he looked at the boy. It didn't matter how much trouble Danny caused them, he would always love him. He pulled Danny into his arms again, thinking rapidly.

"Do you remember their names?" Blaine asked. "I'm gonna call CPS in the morning and ask them about this visit."

"No" Danny said. "They didn't introduce themselves."

"But they showed you their badges or…"

"They didn't show me anything" Danny admitted.

"Danny" Kurt sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry" Danny said again.

"You can't let strangers inside, especially not when you are all alone at home" Kurt said. "God, they could have been burglars. They could have hurt you…"

"I know!" Danny said in frustration.

Blaine looked at his family, both of them upset and panicking. He hated seeing them like this and he was determined to solve their problem.

"Calm down, both of you" he said. "I'll ask Nick to help with this in the morning, but I don't think we should be worried about CPS."

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.

Blaine glanced at Danny. He wasn't sure if he should hear this. He certainly didn't want to scare him needlessly.

"Why don't you go upstairs and have some rest?" Blaine asked as he turned to him. "It was a long day."

Surprisingly, Danny nodded in agreement. Blaine sighed in relief as he walked upstairs and a minute later, they heard as he closed the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked in concern.

"I'm not sure but something isn't right here" Blaine said. "First that article, now this… I have a bad feeling."

"You think that those people weren't from CPS" Kurt stated.

"I don't think they were" Blaine said. "They could fool Danny but if they were professionals, they wouldn't have acted like that."

"We can't be sure" Kurt said. "Even if it wasn't real, we have to be more careful."

Blaine nodded in agreement.

"I'll get him a bodyguard" he said. "And for you, too. We can't risk anything until I find out what's going on."

"I'm not talking about safety" Kurt said.

"Then what…"

"About us. About our family" Kurt said. "Even if it was just a false alarm, we aren't safe. Danny has trouble in school and if we don't do anything, they'll take him away from us."

"What should we do?" Blaine asked.

"We'll act like a perfect family" Kurt said slowly. "We'll come home in time and spend time with our child. We won't do anything scandalous. Oh, and most importantly, we won't keep things from each other."

Blaine looked down, sighing heavily.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kurt asked quietly.

"It happened way before I met you" Blaine explained. "I was 21, I spent the night in a club with Jeff. We celebrated his birthday when those kids joined us."

He took a deep breath and walked to the couch to sit down.

"He told me that he was 18 but I knew he was younger" Blaine continued. "So nothing happened between us. I left and went home. I woke up to the police banging on my door."

"You should have told me" Kurt said quietly as he sat down beside Blaine.

"I felt ashamed. I still do" he said. "Even if it was just a lie, people treated me differently after that. We lost a good job because our employer was worried that I would fuck his son."

"And you thought that I would look at you differently, too" Kurt said, finally understanding what Blaine meant.

"I know it's stupid…"

"It is" Kurt nodded. "I know you, Blaine. I know that you would never do anything to hurt Danny."

"I don't. I have done some things I'm not proud of but I would never do that to a child" Blaine said.

Kurt sighed and sneaked his arms around Blaine to pull him close. It had been another very long day for them and it looked like they only had those bad days lately. He wished it would be over soon. The stress wasn't good for any of them.

"Tell me if Nick finds something" Kurt said. "I'm worried."

"I know" Blaine said as he leaned against the pillows and pulled Kurt with him, kissing his forehead. "It's gonna be okay. I won't let anyone hurt you, you know."

"I do. I trust you" Kurt nodded. 

Even if none of them really knew what they were facing this time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!  
> Lyrics: Green Day - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Blaine came to the realization that saying that something wasn't right was an understatement. He had tried to sleep that night but he couldn't stop thinking about the day's happenings, so he had ended up in his study, going through the recordings of the camera system to clear his head. That was when he had seen it. He had almost missed it but even if he wasn't a bodyguard anymore, he knew the signs. He knew what to look for. That was how he had found the recording of a few weeks earlier and noticed that it was manipulated. About twenty minutes of the recording were missing and he knew that it could only mean something wrong. So he had called Nick in the morning and arranged a meeting with him.

 

"You are right" Nick sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "It's manipulated."

 

"Can you restore the missing piece?" Blaine asked.

 

"It was deleted" Nick said.

 

"But you can surely do something…"

 

"Maybe I can but I need more time" Nick said.

 

"I really need this, Nick" Blaine said.

 

"Is there something wrong?" Nick asked knowingly.

 

"Yes" Blaine nodded. "I'm sure Jeff told you about that article."

 

"Of course" Nick nodded.

 

"That's not everything" Blaine said. "Yesterday, when we weren't home, two people visited Danny at home. They scared him to death. They told him horrible things about me and that he wouldn't be allowed to stay with us any longer."

 

"Poor kid" Nick sighed. "Is he okay? And Kurt?"

 

"They'll be fine but I have to find out what's going on. Whoever plays with my family, I will stop them" Blaine said.

 

"So that's why I had to get into that database" Nick said.

 

"Just to make sure the CPS isn't after us" Blaine said.

 

"Why would they? Blaine, you are perfect parents. There's no way they can take Danny away from you" Nick said.

 

"We have some trouble with him" Blaine admitted. "He missed classes and beat up another student."

 

"No way" Nick said with wide eyes.

 

"It's true" Blaine sighed. "He has these new friends. I'm not sure I like them, they certainly aren't good for him. Kurt definitely hates them, especially the girl."

 

"Oh, so there is a girl involved" Nick smirked. "Then don't be too surprised that he acts like this. Do you remember what Jeff was like in high school?"

 

"I do, actually. And I certainly don't want Danny to do such stupid things" Blaine said.

 

"It's not like you can stop them. He's a teenager, he'll do stupid things, whether you want it or not" Nick pointed out.

 

"I know. But I would be a lot calmer if I knew he was safe. I'll get him and Kurt a few bodyguards until we find out what we're dealing with here. Let me know if you find something" Blaine said.

 

"I will" Nick nodded. "Just call me if you need anything else.

 

"Thanks" Blaine said gladly. He knew that if there was something to find, Nick would get it for him.

 

~ o ~

 

"A bodyguard" Danny said slowly when Blaine went home later that day and shared the news with his family.

 

"That's right" Blaine nodded. "Although it seems like we don't have to be afraid of CPS anymore, I'm worried about you, guys. So until I make sure you are safe, you'll both get a bodyguard to follow you around. Everywhere."

 

"I can't believe this is happening again" Danny sighed.

 

"Look, I don't like this either but we have to be careful" Kurt told him. "It's just temporarily."

 

"Will it be one of the guys?" Danny asked hopefully.

 

"No" Blaine smiled. "You don't know them but they'll be perfect for the job. I looked into their records and I can only say that they are excellent."

 

"Great" Danny muttered. "I not only have to deal with you being famous when I go back, I also have to bring the new guy with me. So much for not too much attention."

 

"Danny, it's necessary" Kurt tried to explain him. "We'll be a lot calmer if we know you aren't alone."

 

"Oh, about that" Blaine said. "We also need to set up a few new rules."

 

"Not again" Danny groaned.

 

"For safety reasons" Blaine said with a pointed look. "First of all, I updated the newest version of iGuard on your phones."

 

Kurt smiled as he looked at Danny and saw the boy roll his eyes.

 

"Keep your phones close every time you go somewhere, so I can track you down if necessary. Your bodyguards also have to report me about you twice a day. For safety reasons" he said again.

 

"Of course" Danny muttered.

 

"And I want you to call me when you leave the house and arrive to school or work" Blaine said at least. "Every time you go somewhere."

 

"Even when you work?" Danny asked.

 

"Especially when I work" Blaine nodded.

 

"Is it because we are in real danger or because you are being overprotective again?" Danny asked.

 

"Danny…" Kurt hissed, rubbing his forehead.

 

"I don't know for sure" Blaine said honestly. "I'm working on it but until I find out what exactly is going on, I want you to be safe."

 

"It also means that you can't leave the house, unless you have to go school. Once you'll be allowed to go again, of course" Kurt said.

 

"No dates, no late afternoon programs, absolutely nothing until this is over" Blaine said.

 

"But what about Alison?" Danny asked.

 

"Ask her to come over" Kurt said. "You can listen to music or watch movies here, you don't have to go out for that."

 

"We wanted to ask you to invite her over anyway" Blaine shrugged. "We would like to get to know her."

 

Danny sighed heavily. He was pretty sure that his parents would screw this up for him. In the next second, his eyes widened when he realized what they had agreed in.

 

"Wait, what about the competition?" he asked.

 

"What competition?" Kurt frowned.

 

"My band! We have a competition next week!" Danny explained. "We need to practice a lot if we want to win and I have to be there on Friday, too. We have to win this."

 

"You can't go to that competition. It's too risky" Kurt said.

 

"Please, you can't do this to me…"

 

"They could use our rehearsal room" Blaine said as he turned to Kurt, trying to find a solution. He understood how important this band was for Danny. "And I can surely get him a few more bodyguards for Friday…"

 

"No" Kurt said determinedly. He knew that Danny would hate him for this but he would be a lot calmer if he knew that his son was safe. Being in a crowded bar that wasn't even suitable for a 15-year-old boy wasn't safe. "Not until we find out what's going on."

 

"Kurt, please…"

 

"Danny" Kurt sighed as he turned to face him. "I know that you think it's important and your life will be over if you don't compete but this is just one event. There will be more and I swear I'll let you sing next time..."

 

"This isn't just one event" Danny glared at him. "I thought you would understand."

 

He turned around and left in a blink, slamming his door shut before Kurt could call after him.

 

"Danny…" he whispered.

 

"Just one song, Kurt" Blaine tried to concinve him. "It's important for him."

 

"And he's important for me!" Kurt shouted in frustration. "Have you forgotten what we talked about the other day? Perfect family image, nothing out of order. A 15-year-old playing rockstar is definitely something out of order."

 

"I know" Blaine sighed. He knew that Kurt was right but he didn't want Danny to hate them for this.

 

"He can have a band when he gets older" Kurt said. "Once this is over."

 

Blaine watched in silence as Kurt walked out of the room, leaving him all alone. He had no idea what to do now. He wanted to help Danny but he also wanted to do what he agreed in with Kurt… Whatever he did, someone from his family would hate him.

 

~ o ~

 

It was Friday evening and Danny was sitting in his room, leaning his head against the window. It had been more than an hour since Kurt and Blaine had left for their dinner with Puck and Quinn. Danny had tried not to be too disappointed that they were allowed to leave the house and he had to stay home. Well, that was what the men thought. Because he certainly wouldn't stay home when there was an important competition coming and his band had a chance to become famous. Okay, maybe not for the first time, the guys still needed a lot of practice but Danny knew that he had a great voice and he had been on the stage enough to do something unforgettable this time.

 

Blaine and Kurt had screwed up when they had hired him a bodyguard who had freshly joined the Warblers. He was surely great, Danny didn't deny it, but he strictly followed the schedule and accidentally made his job a lot easier. Danny didn't need much time to figure out when his bodyguard was on the other side of the house, checking the doors and windows. He also checked how much time he had once the man moved to the other side of the house and smiled when he realized he had minutes to climb down from his window and disappear before the guy could realize that he was gone.

 

So he got dressed and waited for that time to come. He would perform tonight, his dads couldn't stop him this time. And Alison had promised him to be there, too. It was definitely going to be a good night.

 

He went to the door and opened it slightly. The bodyguard had to be downstairs but he couldn't see him. So he went to the stairs and looked down. The guy was standing at the front door, his eyes never leaving the windows beside him. Danny shook his head as he watched him. The new guy seemingly didn't know that he didn't have to take his job that seriously because there was nothing to be afraid of.

 

Five minutes later, it was time for the next round. Danny leaned back against the wall as the man checked the door and then disappeared from his sight. That was the moment he had been waiting for.

 

"Shitty job, newbie" Danny muttered as he went back into his room and opened the window. He couldn't believe it was so easy to leave. He didn't even need much time to figure out how to do it. It was usually a lot harder.

 

He quickly climbed down the tree and without wasting any more time, he started running. The bodyguard would surely notice his absence soon but it wouldn't matter. He would be on the stage by then and nobody could stop him from performing.

 

~ o ~

 

Alison was nervous. Danny should have arrived about half an hour earlier but the boy was nowhere to be found. She hated this. They had wasted too much time for this boy and the plan had to work if they didn't want to lose everything. She was pretty sure that Tommy would kill them all if they couldn't get the money in time. The time they didn't have. Although Jay had somehow convinced the man to give them a few more days, Alison knew that Tommy wasn't too happy about that. They needed Danny, quickly, or they would be in so much trouble.

 

"Relax, honey" Jay smiled as he went to the girl and pulled her into his arms.

 

"Don't do this" Alison said and pushed him away. "Somebody might see us together."

 

"Does it matter?" Jay asked.

 

"Yes" Alison hissed. "Danny thinks that we are together, remember? I can't screw this up."

 

"Calm down, honey. He won't find out" Jay said and looked around. "Is he even here?"

 

"Not yet" Alison said.

 

"But he'll come, right?" Jay asked.

 

"He told me that he would" Alison replied.

 

"He better comes because we need that money, now" Jay said.

 

"Don't you think I know?" Alison asked in frustration.

 

Jay took a deep breath and forced out a small smile.

 

"I'm sorry, honey" he said. "You know what you have to do, right?"

 

"Take him to the car after the performance" Alison nodded.

 

"Make sure no one follows you" Jay reminded her. "I'll be waiting at the car with Ryan. We have to be quick and quiet. We can't get caught."

 

"I know" Alison nodded.

 

"He's here" Jay said and motioned towards the entrance where Danny stepped inside. "Go to him."

 

Alison took a deep breath and checked on her clothes before she made her way to the boy.

 

~ o ~

 

"Hm, this is amazing" Quinn hummed happily as she took another bite of her cheesecake.

 

"Does it mean that the morning sickness is gone?" Kurt smirked.

 

"Mostly" Quinn replied. "I still feel sick sometimes but it's not that bad anymore."

 

"She doesn't want to kill me anymore, so it's definitely getting better" Puck said.

 

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl this time?" Blaine asked.

 

"Not yet" Quinn answered. "And I don't think we want to know this time."

 

"We want to wait until the baby is born" Puck said. "It would be such a surprise."

 

"Not you too" Kurt groaned. "How am I supposed to buy you anything when you don't want to know the gender before the baby is born?"

 

"Neutral colors, Kurt" Quinn said.

 

"I can't believe you are so patient" Blaine shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to wait so long. I would want to know as soon as possible."

 

"When it's about your sixth kid, it doesn't matter anymore" Quinn said. "We'll love this baby, no matter what."

 

"I bet you will" Kurt said.

 

Suddenly, Blaine's phone beeped and he took it out of his pocket to check the caller's ID.

 

"It's Danny's bodyguard" he groaned and raised his phone to his ear. "I'm listening."

 

Kurt didn't need much time to realise that something was wrong. Blaine turned pale and swore quietly before giving the man orders and disconnecting the call.

 

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked.

 

"Danny left" Blaine said, already working on his phone to check where Danny was. Thank God he could track the boy's phone so easily.

 

"What?" Kurt gasped.

 

"He sneaked out when Brad was checking on the doors" Blaine explained.

 

"I can't believe he's doing this again" Kurt groaned.

 

"I found him" Blaine said after a minute and stood up. "Let's go!"

 

"I'm so sorry, guys" Kurt said as he stood up as well.

 

"We're coming with you" Puck said.

 

"It's not necessary…"

 

"We don't mind. Really" Quinn said, smiling at her husband as Puck helped her get to her feet.

 

"I'm getting tired of this" Kurt muttered. Sure, he knew that Danny was upset because they left and he had to stay home, but leaving like this… The boy was surely insane. Or he just didn't understand how risky it was. Either way, they had to find him soon and make sure nothing happened to him.

 

When they arrived at the bar twenty minutes later and stepped inside, they found Danny immediately. He was on the stage, seemingly getting ready for his performance.

 

"I'm gonna get him" Blaine said but Kurt grabbed his arm to stop him.

 

"Let him perform" Kurt said quietly.

 

"But I thought…"

 

"He's fine. Just let him do it" Kurt said. "It must be important if he was willing to sneak out."

 

Blaine sighed but nodded. Danny was seemingly fine, so they could wait a few more minutes and let him sing. Danny noticed them, too, just when he grabbed the microphone. He took a deep breath, seemingly trying to say something but then he shook his head and motioned for his band to start playing.

 

_I walk a lonely road_ _  
__The only one that I have ever known_ _  
__Don't know where it goes_ _  
__But it's home to me and I walk alone_ _  
  
__I walk this empty street_ _  
__On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams_ _  
__Where the city sleeps_ _  
__And I'm the only one and I walk alone_ _  
  
__I walk alone_ _  
__I walk alone_ _  
__I walk alone_ _  
__I walk a..._ _  
  
__My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_ _  
__My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_ _  
__Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_ _  
__'Til then I walk alone_ __  
  
"The kid is talented" Puck whispered to Blaine.

 

Blaine nodded in agreement. Although the band wasn't a big deal, they made too many mistakes, Danny was great. Maybe he could win them this competition. _  
  
__I'm walking down the line_ _  
__That divides me somewhere in my mind_ _  
__On the border line_ _  
__Of the edge and where I walk alone_ _  
  
__Read between the lines_ _  
__Of what's fucked up and everything's alright_ _  
__Check my vital signs_ _  
__To know I'm still alive and I walk alone_ _  
  
__I walk alone_ _  
__I walk alone_ _  
__I walk alone_ _  
__I walk a..._ _  
  
__My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_ _  
__My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_ _  
__Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_ _  
__'Til then I walk alone_ __  
  
"He's like Mr Schue" Quinn smiled.

 

Kurt sighed sadly. He wished Will and Emma could see this, they would have been so happy to see their son perform. Even if he knew very well that this song was Danny's choice and wanted Kurt and Blaine to hear it. _  
  
__I walk this empty street_ _  
__On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams_ _  
__Where the city sleeps_ _  
__And I'm the only one and I walk a..._ _  
  
__My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_ _  
__My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_ _  
__Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_ _  
__'Til then I walk alone..._

 

The end wasn't perfect but it seemed like the audience loved Danny's voice and after a moment of silence, they broke out in loud applause. Kurt took a deep breath as he prepared himself for facing his son, trying to fight his mixed feelings. He was glad that Danny was safe and had such a great performance in the end but he couldn't forget about the fact that he didn't listen to them, again, and he could have gotten hurt. He didn't want to fight this time, though. He was tired of fighting.

 

He grabbed Blaine's hand and they walked towards the stage . For a second, they couldn't see Danny but then they found him, with a girl in his arms who was kissing him. Kurt turned his head away, feeling like they shouldn't watch this. He gave the kids a few more seconds but then turned back, just in time as the girl pulled back. And that was when his eyes widened in shock. Because the girl in Danny's arms was a lot older than him, definitely not his age.

 

"Please, tell me it's not Alison" Kurt said.

 

"I think that's her" Blaine said, seemingly just as shocked as Kurt.

 

"But-but she is…"

 

"I know" Blaine nodded.

 

Danny finally noticed them and shook his head as Alison told him something. He nodded towards them and shrugged. Alison's eyes widened and after saying a quick goodbye, she left. She didn't even wait until they got there, although Kurt already had a few things in his mind he wanted to share with the girl.

 

"Hey, guys" Danny said. "So… Did you like our performance?"

 

"You are in trouble" Blaine said shortly.

 

"I know" Danny nodded. He had known that it wouldn't end well, he had had enough time to prepare himself for this.

 

"Let's go home" Kurt said, his voice surprisingly calm. Too calm for Danny's taste.

 

"Okay" the boy said quickly. It didn't mean anything good when Kurt was so angry that he didn't even yell at him anymore.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!   
> I'm going abroad next week and don't want to leave you without the next chapter. So here it is! I hope you like it.

Kurt didn't say a word on their way back home. Danny had no idea what was wrong with him. He usually told him what was wrong without hesitation but it looked something bothered the man this time. Danny had no idea what it could be. Yes, he had sneaked out and Kurt was definitely not too pleased. But it seemed like there was something else, too.

When they arrived home and walked into the living room, Kurt was still silent. It was killing Danny, he had to find out what was wrong, he wanted to get over with their newest talk about how irresponsible he was, so they could get back to normal. He hated it when Kurt didn't talk to him at all.

"Sit down" Kurt said quietly.

Danny took a seat immediately. It was better not to piss Kurt off any more.

"Am I grounded again?" Danny asked carefully.

Kurt glanced at Blaine. He had no idea what to do with Danny. They had told him so many times what he shouldn't do but the boy didn't listen to them at all. It was pointless… And he knew why. No wonder Danny acted so horribly when that girl controlled him. Because Kurt was certain that it was all Alison's work.

"Why did you leave tonight?" Kurt asked quietly.

"Because of the competition?" Danny asked back. How could Kurt forget about it when he had told him about this so many times?

"Was it your idea?" Kurt asked.

"Of course it was!" Danny said.

"Are you sure? Nobody told you how you should get out of the house or… encouraged you to meet them?" Blaine offered.

"What do you want with this?" Danny asked. He didn't like where this conversation went.

"How much do you know about Alison?" Kurt asked.

"Not again" Danny sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, again, Danny" Kurt said in frustration.

"Alison is a good girl. Believe me" Danny said.

"Do you even know her?" Kurt asked.

"Of course I do" Danny said. "I love her."

"How old is she?" Kurt asked.

"Uhm… A little older than me" Danny said, blushing. He had no idea.

"Which school does she attend?" Blaine asked.

"Another one?"

"Which one?"

"I don't know!" Danny said. "I never asked her because it's not important."

"When is her birthday?"

"What is her favourite color?"

"Favourite band?"

"Food?"

"I think she likes black" Danny muttered quietly. These questions were so not important. Okay, maybe he didn't know too much about Alison but it was only because they mostly talked about him. Alison liked listening to him, not talking about herself. It wasn't a big deal...

"So you don't know anything about her" Kurt came to the conclusion.

"I know that she's nice and I love her" Danny said.

"Danny, you don't even know this girl" Kurt sighed heavily.

"I do" Danny said.

"No, you don't" Blaine said seriously. "You don't know a thing about her and honestly, from what I saw today, I'm not too impressed."

"Because you don't want me to date her. Or anyone else" Danny rolled his eyes. "I'm not a child anymore, could you not treat me like one just for once in my life?"

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other. Fighting over this was completely useless. They had tried to talk to Danny so many times but he never listened to them. And it looked like he never would. They had to deal with him differently this time because Danny was falling deeper and deeper and they were afraid that there was a point where they couldn't help the boy anymore.

"You know what? Be that way" Kurt said suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Danny asked carefully. Kurt's smile was too bright… It was definitely fake.

"Yeah, let's give her a chance" Blaine agreed.

"Tell her that she's invited for dinner tomorrow" Kurt said.

"You want to meet her?" Danny asked. That was strange.

"She's important for you" Kurt said sweetly. "The least we can do is to give her a chance to impress us."

"Okay…" Danny said slowly.

"Tomorrow, at 7" Blaine said. 

"Tell her not to be late" Kurt smiled.

Danny blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. But it seemed like he was awake and it wasn't just some weird nightmare.

"I’ll let her know" he nodded. "Although I would like to ask for a favor."

"What is it, honey?" Kurt asked.

"The bodyguards" Danny said. "I don't want them to be here tomorrow. They would scare Alison."

"She doesn't know about them?" Blaine asked.

"She doesn't know about you either" Danny explained.

"Oh" Kurt said.

"Unless she recognized you today but I don't think she did" Danny said. "But she doesn't know about the bodyguards and I want to keep it that way."

Kurt glanced at Blaine who nodded.

"Fine" Kurt said as he turned to Danny. "No bodyguards tomorrow."

"Thank you" Danny said happily and to Kurt's surprise, he threw his arms around him. "Thank you for giving her a chance."

"You're welcome" Kurt muttered.

Once Danny left, Kurt's smile disappeared and he turned to Blaine, seemingly in concern.

"This isn't good" Blaine said in worry.

"I know" Kurt sighed. "This won't end well. I can feel it."

"Let's give her a chance, okay?" Blaine said and pulled Kurt into his arms. "Maybe we are overreacting."

Kurt was pretty sure that it wasn't the case. He just didn't want to see his son getting hurt. Danny was such a nice kid, maybe a little too naive, but Kurt didn't want to see him break. He had a bad feeling that it would happen anyway.

~ o ~

"This is insane!" Alison groaned as she got into her clothes for the evening. Dinner with Danny's parents… Just what she needed.

"Come on, babe, you can do this" Jay told her, seemingly enjoying the situation.

"They are surely nice" Ryan said.

"What if they aren't?" Alison asked. "What if they find out what I want from their son?"

"Don't be so scared" Jay said. "A musician and an actor, how do you think they would find out who you are? Just be nice to them. It's gonna be okay."

"Once the dinner is over, you could ask Danny to bring you home" Ryan suggested.

"Wouldn't it be too risky?" Alison asked.

"It doesn't matter" Jay said. "We’ll leave the city anyway, they won't find us. But first..."

"We need the money" Alison sighed.

"That's right, babe" Jay said and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "You're ready. Let's go!"

"Stay close" Alison said. "In case I screw this up. I don't want to get caught."

"You won't" Jay reassured him. "Besides, Danny is totally in love with you. He’ll defend you if necessary."

Alison nodded in agreement. Danny was a nice kid, he certainly wouldn't let anything happen to her. She had planted so many lies into his head that he trusted her completely.

~ o ~

Danny was nervous, Kurt could see it. He changed clothes three times but still couldn't decide what to wear. He walked around in the house, moving things from one place to the other, nothing was good enough for him. At least he decided to wash that horrible blue color out of his hair. It was nice to see his original hair color for once and it made Kurt somewhat calmer. To his relief, Danny didn't ruin his hair completely.

He moved into the kitchen to prepare their food, going through what he wanted to ask from Alison. He had thought this through completely. He was determined to find the girl's weakness and show Danny that she wasn't right for him. He still had that bad feeling about the girl that didn't let him rest for a second. Something wasn't right with Alison and he was going to find out what it was. Luckily for him, Blaine was just as determined to find out the truth as he was. He would surely help him with this. 

"Are we ready?" Blaine asked as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Yes" Kurt nodded as he checked the food.

"You seem nervous" Blaine pointed out.

"Because I am" Kurt said. "I'm worried about him."

"Maybe we were wrong about Alison and she isn't bad for him" Blaine said.

"I don't think so" Kurt shook his head. "Something bothers me in that girl, I just don't know what it is."

"We’ll get to know her better tonight and then we can decide what to do next" Blaine said.

"He won't listen to us" Kurt said quietly.

"He is in love" Blaine said and walked to Kurt to hug him. "Don't worry so much. If something is wrong, we’ll make him see it. He's a clever kid, he’ll understand."

"I'm not sure anymore" Kurt said. "He's so not like himself anymore."

"This is just temporarily" Blaine replied. "A few more years, remember?"

"How will we survive till then, I have no idea" Kurt smiled.

The doorbell rang and they both turned towards the door.

"It's time to go" Blaine said. "Deep breath. It's gonna be okay."

Kurt closed his eyes for a moment and forced out a small smile as he walked to the door.

As they walked into the hall, Danny was already at the door, talking to Alison. The girl stepped inside, looking around in awe. She seemed nervous but she seemingly forgot about it for a second when she saw their home. Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand as he stepped forward.

"Hello, Alison" he greeted her. "It's good to finally meet you."

"Mr Anderson" Alison nodded nervously. 

"Oh, so you know who I am" Blaine smiled. It was time for the first test.

"Yeah, Danny talked a lot about you…"

"She saw you yesterday" Danny said at the same time.

"Oh, yes. The concert" Alison said awkwardly. "That's how I know about you."

Blaine glanced at Kurt for a second. It looked like Kurt was right about this girl, although they needed more to prove that.

"Dinner is ready" Kurt said when he was able to put that fake smile back on his face. "Why don't we move to the dining room?"

"It's gonna be okay" Danny whispered to Alison and squeezed her hand reassuringly. Alison wasn't too convinced, though. Danny's parents seemed scary and she didn't even know that it was just the beginning.

"Tell us about yourself, Alison" Blaine said after a while to break the silence.

Alison glanced at her food. She knew she had to be very careful. Fooling Danny was one thing but his parents… She hoped she could do it.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Everything" Kurt said with fake excitement. He reached out to grab Danny's hand and smiled at Alison. His face already hurt from all the smiling he did that evening. "We were so happy when Danny told us about you. Apparently, he couldn't tell us too much, although we are so curious."

"We certainly are" Blaine agreed.

Danny looked at the men in worry. He had no idea what the hell was going on here.

"How old are you?" Kurt asked when Alison didn't start to talk.

"I… I just turned 17" Alison answered.

"You look older" Kurt commented.

"Much older" Blaine agreed. "I would have said at least 25."

"I-I just look older" Alison said, blushing.

"I thought we shouldn't ask women about their age" Danny said through gritted teeth. "To not make them uncomfortable."

"It doesn't matter when it's about teenagers" Kurt said way too sweetly. "You like looking older, right?"

"Definitely" Alison said quickly.

"Which school do you attend?" Blaine asked next.

"I…"

"You don't have to answer" Danny said quickly.

"Why not? We just want to get to know her better" Kurt said innocently. 

"I'm home-schooled" Alison answered. "I was bullied in high school and my parents took me out."

Danny glared at Kurt and Blaine, not believing that they were doing this to Alison. He didn't even notice that something wasn't right with what the girl told them. Kurt looked at Blaine in concern. This wouldn't end well, he knew it.

They fell silent again. Blaine kept his eyes on the girl on his right, trying to figure her out. He was good in this. He had gotten a lot of practice during his years as bodyguard, he knew the signs. He could tell that Alison felt uncomfortable, and also that it was more than the usual first meeting with parents. He had to find out what it was...

"What do you parents work?" Blaine asked suddenly.

"My parents?" Alison asked back quietly. "Why is it important?"

"If you two stay together, we’ll surely meet them, too" Kurt explained. "We would like to know more about them as well. You surely don't mind talking about them."

"I don't really like talking about them" Alison muttered.

"Why is it so?" Kurt asked.

"Because… They don't really care about me" Alison answered, looking away.

"Ah, I thought they did" Kurt frowned. "They took you out from school. It seems like they love you."

Danny slammed his fork onto the table, getting the others' attention. When Kurt looked at him, he shook his head, telling the adults that it was enough.

"But you know them better than we do" Kurt said quickly. "Would you like dessert?"

They were silent for the rest of the dinner. Although Blaine was ready with his next questions, just like Kurt, they both knew that they couldn't do anything while Danny was around. They had to wait to be left alone with Alison to find out more. That moment came when after dinner they went to the living room and Danny left for a few minutes to use the bathroom. Just what they were waiting for.

"So, Alison, how much do you know about us?" Kurt said when Danny was out of earshot.

"Danny told me a lot about you…"

"That's not what I mean" Kurt interrupted her.

"I keep wondering what a girl like you wants from a boy like Danny" Blaine said as he sat closer to Alison. She was scared of them. Good. 

"Girls at your age don't date younger boys" Kurt said, sitting on the other side of Alison.

"I-I don't like the boys in my school" Alison said.

"I thought you were home-schooled" Blaine said.

"I…"

"Just so you know, if you mess with our son, you will regret it" Kurt said, keeping his voice as sweet as possible.

"What's going on here?" Danny asked as he returned from the bathroom and found Alison, seemingly in panic, cornered by Kurt and Blaine.

"I have to go!" Alison said quickly and as soon as the way was free, she ran to the door.

"Alison!" Danny called after her. "Wait, please!"

"I can't" Alison said in panic as she opened the door.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked.

Alison looked at the two men standing behind them. She shook her head and turned back to Danny.

"Your parents are insane" she said.

"What?" Danny asked and turned around to look at Kurt and Blaine. "What did they…"

"It doesn't matter" Alison said. "Call me if you want to see me but… I don't want to see them again."

With that said, she walked out of the house and slammed the door shut behind her.

~ o ~

She was so scared that Alison didn't even notice Jay until she literally ran into him.

"What happened?" Jay asked as he pulled Alison behind a tree in case Danny or his dads followed them.

"They know!" Alison said in panic. "We’ll be caught… They’ll send the police after us…"

"Take a deep breath and tell me what happened" Jay said.

Alison closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before she was able to tell Jay and Ryan what had happened inside of the house.

"You're an idiot" Ryan sighed.

"I had to leave!" Alison said. "They know…"

"They know nothing!" Ryan shouted in frustration, digging his fingers into his hair. "Shit! You screwed up everything! How will we get the money now?"

"Calm down, both of you" Jay said and reached into his pocket for their shared phone.

"What are you doing?" Alison asked.

"Trying to find out if we still have a chance here" Jay replied.

Soon after that, the phone beeped and Jay smiled as he looked at the text Danny sent them.

"What's so funny?" Ryan asked as he glanced over Jay's shoulder.

"Get ready" Jay said as he quickly texted back. "It looks like today is our lucky day."

He sent the text and then turned back to Alison. He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her close.

"Last chance, Alison" he said seriously. "Don't screw this up for us."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I'm finally back home after an exhausting but amazing conference, so here is the new chapter, enjoy!

All the three of them were staring at the door where they had seen Alison the last time. It was definitely not how they had imagined this night but there was nothing to do now. Danny needed to see the truth. He was in love and he was blind, he couldn't think straight. Kurt wished they could make him understand… He wished they could make it easier for him to accept the reality, but he had a bad feeling that it wouldn't be that easy.

"Danny…" he started quietly.

"Don't" Danny said.

"Danny, this girl…"

"I don't want to hear!" Danny shouted.

"Just listen to us" Blaine said as he took a step towards the boy. "I know that you like this girl, a lot, but she isn't what she seems. You did hear her, right? She was so confusing because she's lying to you! She can't make difference between the truth and her lies anymore and..."

"Don't talk about her like that!" Danny said. "You… It's all because of you! You scared her and now she's gone, she won't come back anymore."

"It's the best for you" Blaine said gently. "Believe me, Danny, this girl is just playing with you. She doesn't love you."

"You don't even know her" Danny said.

"But we can see her true side, something you don't see because you're in love with her" Kurt said.

"No…" Danny shook his head. "You are wrong. You don't know her. She's a nice girl and I love her, and we will be together whether you want it or not."

"Danny…"

"Just once in my life, let me decide what's the best for me" Danny said.

"We can't do that" Blaine replied.

"I'm old enough to decide what I want" Danny said seriously.

"Are you sure?" Kurt asked as he stepped closer to the boy. "Just look at yourself. You let her control you completely. You're not even a real person anymore."

"This is who I am now" Danny said.

"Is it?" Blaine asked. "You skip classes, you go into fights..."

"I'm trying to survive" Danny explained.

"...You don't care about anyone or anything anymore. Just that girl" Kurt said.

"That girl has a name" Danny said.

"You can't see her anymore" Blaine said seriously. "We won't let her ruin your life, so we won't let you meet her again."

"You can't do that…"

"We are your parents, Danny. It's our job to stop you when you do something stupid and believe me, now you're doing the biggest mistake of your life" Kurt said.

"That't not true" Danny shook his head. "You don't understand a thing."

"Believe me, I…"

"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my father!" Danny shouted.

They fell silent, again. Danny knew what a huge mistake he had done to second those words left his lips. But it was too late to take them back. He saw the pain in Kurt's eyes as he took a deep breath and stepped away from him, seemingly fighting to hold his tears back. There was only one thing he could say that hurt Kurt so much. The fact that even if he tried so hard, he would never really be his father. Danny had never pointed it out before because he knew how much pain he would cause Kurt. And now he could see it. It was so bad to see Kurt like this, all of his anger disappeared and he just wished he could take everything back. Kurt didn't deserve this, even if Danny was angry with him.

"No" Kurt said quietly. "I'm not."

"Kurt…"

Kurt turned around and rushed upstairs. They could hear a quiet sob that escaped his lips before the bedroom's door was closed behind him. Danny sighed heavily, his eyes still on the stairs. He had screwed up this time, really badly. Unfortunately for him, Blaine was still there to remind him on his mistake, seemingly pissed off for the comment that made his fiancé cry.

"That was really not fair of you" Blaine said after a while.

"I didn't mean to…"

"Do you have any idea how much trouble he went through for you?" Blaine asked angrily. "He could have let your crazy grandparents have you and do whatever they wanted with you. Most people would have done that, you know? He didn't even know about your parents' will until the accident. He was young, he had his whole life in front of him. He could have said no and lived like any other young guy. But he didn't. He was willing to give up everything for you and what does he get in return? You rub into his face that he isn't your father? He's a lot better father than most men. You have no idea how lucky you are to have him."

Danny looked down, not knowing what to say. He knew that Blaine was right, of course, and he felt so bad for saying those things… But he didn't know how he could make things better.

"I’ll talk to him" Blaine said after taking a deep breath. "He must be really upset right now. I suggest you to go back to your room and think about your oh, so horrible life with us."

Without another word, Blaine left and joined Kurt upstairs. Danny heard as he knocked on the door and then stepped inside, whispering calming words before the door was shut behind him and Danny couldn't hear anything else anymore. He looked around in the living room and sighed. He had been such an idiot. What could he say now to make things better?

His phone beeped and he took it out of his pocket to read the text.

I hope I didn't cause any trouble

Danny smiled sadly. Even if Blaine and Kurt hated Alison, he knew for sure that she was a good girl. And now that he was all alone with his guilt, he felt like he needed her more than ever. So he quickly texted her back, letting her know that he needed to see her. Alison texted back immediately, telling him where to meet her. It was the park nearby, much to Danny's relief. He didn't really want to see anyone else but Alison right now. He glanced up at the stairs before turning to the door. He would talk to Alison and ask for her advice. She surely knew how to make things right with Kurt. She had to know, because Danny had no idea what to say.

~ o ~

Blaine sighed sadly as he stepped inside and found his fiancé lying in the bed, with his face buried into the pillow. He could tell that Kurt was crying from the soft noises he made and the shaking of his shoulders. Of course he was crying. Blaine knew better than anyone how important Danny was for him and how much trouble Kurt had gone through for the boy. And that was what he got in return… He still couldn't believe Danny had said those stupid things, only to hurt Kurt. He wasn't like this. Sure, he got into trouble sometimes but he never really tried to hurt any of them like this. Danny wasn't stupid, he knew very well how much pain he caused Kurt this time.

"Hey" Blaine said as he stepped to the bed and sat down beside Kurt. "Are you alright?"

"No" Kurt cried.

"If it makes you feel better, he knows that he was stupid" Blaine said gently. "He seemed to feel really bad when I left him downstairs."

"I don't want to make him feel bad" Kurt cried. "I just… God, I don't even know why I'm crying. It's not like he didn't say stupid things before."

"But it hurts more than any of them" Blaine nodded in understanding.

"You know why?" Kurt smiled sadly as he turned to look at Blaine. "Because he's right. I can do whatever I want, I will never be his father. I'm just a substitute."

"Hey, that's not true" Blaine said gently and pulled Kurt into his arms. "You might not be his biological parent but you are his dad. And he knows that. He just… He lost his mind because of that girl but once it's over, he’ll be begging for your forgiveness. Believe me, he’ll realize that that girl is just playing with him and he’ll come to his senses. Sooner or later."

"I just don't want to see him get hurt" Kurt said. "I've been there before. I went through this when I was younger and I know how badly it could end. I don't want him to go through all those horrible things I had to."

"I know" Blaine said, kissing Kurt's forehead. "But you can't protect him from everything. He has to make his own mistake because that's what makes him a better person."

"I won't let him see that girl again" Kurt said determinedly. "I'm sorry, Blaine, but I can't. Maybe he won't talk to me ever again but I can feel that something is very wrong with that girl. I could see it in her eyes. I can't let her hurt my son, I just can't let it happen."

"I know" Blaine said. "Why don't we have some rest now? I'm pretty sure that we’ll be able to discuss this in morning, once we all calm down a bit."

"What if we can't?" Kurt asked.

"I know we can" Blaine smiled. "We always solved our problems so far. I know we can do it again."

"I love you" Kurt said, running his fingers through Blaine's hair. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, honey" Blaine said and tightened his arms around Kurt. "Would you like me to sing something for you?"

Kurt nodded and Blaine smiled as he started singing, an old song he had written for Kurt so many years earlier, when their relationship had been so fresh and everything seemed so bright. Even ten years later, it still felt the same, and Blaine was so grateful for that. When he had written that song, he hadn't believed that they would last so long or even if they did, they would still be in love with each other like the first moment.

Once Kurt fell asleep in his arms, Blaine pulled the comforter around him and then got into the bed beside him, pulling Kurt into his arms again. He truly believed that they could discuss everything in the morning… He didn't know that they wouldn't have a chance to talk at all.

~ o ~

Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Alison ran her fingers through his hair. He was lying on a bench in the park, his head resting in Alison's lap. It felt so relaxing… He still felt bad inside but Alison's touch made everything a little bit better.

"And he started crying?" Alison asked.

"Yeah" Danny answered. "I really hurt him this time."

"I don't get it" Alison said. "They adopted you, right? It's not like you told him something new."

"You don't get it" Danny said. Of course not. He hadn't told Alison the whole story about them.

"Ah, here you are!"

Danny sat up quickly as he heard footsteps heading towards them. Seconds later, Jay and Ryan stepped out from behind the trees, much to his annoyance. He didn't want to see them right now… Or anyone else, to be exact. He only wanted to be with Alison.

"You didn't tell me that they would be here, too" Danny whispered to Alison.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you would need some distraction" Alison said.

"She told me that you had a bad day and we know exactly how to make you feel better" Jay said and pushed a bottle into Danny's hand. "Beer!"

Danny glanced at the bottle, raising an eyebrow. He was pretty sure that a bottle of beer wouldn't solve anything.

"Come on, drink it" Jay said encouragingly.

"I'm not sure I should" Danny said and tried to give Jay the bottle but he pushed it back into his hand.

"Of course you should" Jay said. "Believe me, it’ll make you feel better. Just try it."

Danny sighed as he loked down at the bottle again. He had never drunk alcohol before. He knew that it made people relaxed, sometimes funny. And some beer surely wouldn't hurt… It wasn't like he wanted to drink the whole bottle. It would help him relax a bit, and then he would be able to figure out how to apologise.

"That's it" Jay smiled as Danny raised the bottle to his lips.

"God, it's awful" Danny grimanced, hoping that that horrible bitter taste in his mouth would go away soon. Why did people drink beer when it tasted so bad?

"Nah, it's not that bad" Alison said. She grabbed Danny's hand and led him back to the bench. "The more you drink, the better it tastes. That's how alcohol works."

"I'm not sure" Danny said hesitantly.

"Come on" Alison said. "Try it for me."

Danny sighed heavily. All of them were watching him expectantly and he hated the attention… So he drank, again and again, until half of his bottle was gone.

"You were wrong" he said in the end. "It's still awful…"

A sudden wave of dizziness hit him, so quickly that he almost fell from the bench. Danny quickly put his bottle down and grabbed the edge of the bench, taking a deep breath. 

"Are you alright?" Alison asked.

Danny expected her to be worried about him but as he looked at her, she seemed like… She was waiting for something? Danny looked at Jay and Ryan then who kept their eyes on the bottle Danny had placed onto the ground, checking how much he had drunk.

"Something is wrong" Danny said as his vision became blurry and it seemed like his limbs started turning to gel. Sure, he had some beer but it was surely not enough to make him that drunk, right?

"Shh, it's okay" Alison said reassuringly.

But Danny didn't look at her this time. He kept his eyes on Jay whose expression told him the most. Something was definitely wrong. Danny knew that he shouldn't feel so bad from the beer, especially not so quickly, and Jay knew that, too. He knew that this would happen.

Danny's eyes widened when he finally realized what was going on. He should have figured out sooner. Blaine had prepared him for every possible dangerous situation, he knew the signs, he knew exactly what was happening to him. He was drugged.

He pushed himself up from the bench, knowing that he had to be quick. He couldn't be sure how much time he had before the drug in his system took effect… Probably not much, considering how hard it was to stay on his feet when his legs were shaking and he could barely see anything.

"Hey, sit back down" Jay said and pushed Danny back down onto the bench. "It's okay, Danny. It’ll happen anyway. But it’ll be a lot easier if you don't fight."

"It's okay, Danny" Alison said. "Don't be scared. You’ll sleep a little but you’ll be fine."

"No… Stay away from me" Danny said and pushed himself up again but his legs couldn't support his weight any longer and he fell backwards, against a tree and then down onto the ground.

"Shouldn't we bring him back?" Ryan asked as Danny tried to crawl away from them, slower with every passed second.

"It's not like he can go anywhere" Jay smirked.

He was in trouble, in huge trouble this time, Danny knew that. And he needed help, fast. But how could he get help when he was all alone, in a dark park, with people who wanted to hurt him?

He blinked rapidly to clear his vision and that was when his eyes landed on his phone, lying on the grass beside him. He must have dropped it when he fell. Another second later, he knew what he had to do. He needed his phone. He could call for help, he only had to reach it.

With a lot of effort, he forced his hand to move and soon, he had his phone in his hand. He quickly unlocked it and tried to focus on the screen enough to find Kurt or Blaine's number. He knew that they were still angry with him but it didn't matter. He would beg for their forgiveness, he would spend the rest of his life locked in his room if he had to, but he needed them now. More than ever in his life. He was in danger and only they could help him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he heard Jay's voice behind him.

Danny's eyes landed on a bright green icon on the screen. iGuard. Blaine's freaky app that seemed like the most perfect gift right now. He could be saved, he only had to alert those guys and they would be here for him in no time. He only had to press that button...

"Get it out of his hand" Ryan said as he and his friends jumped up and made their way towards Danny.

They were too slow, though. Danny pressed the button with a shaky finger, right before the phone fell from his hand. But it didn't matter anymore. The sharp sound it made let the boy know that help was on the way.

"What the fuck?" Ryan asked as he grabbed the phone from the ground. "He alerted someone."

"You little shit" Jay growled and punched Danny who was already barely conscious, knocking him out completely. "Break it!"

Ryan nodded and threw the phone against the nearest tree. They watched in silence as the phone broke into pieces and fell silent immediately.

"What should we do now?" Alison asked in panic.

"What do you think?" Jay asked as he crouched down beside Danny and grabbed his arm. "Ryan, help me! Alison, grab the bottles. We can't leave anything behind."

"They’ll catch us" Alison said. "Let's get out of here and leave him!"

"No" Jay said seriously as he and Ryan lifted Danny off the ground. "We need that money. Move!"

The boys started running towards the street where their car was waiting for them, leaving Alison behind who quickly grabbed the bottles, threw them into her bag and followed the boys. She arrived first and quickly opened the trunk, so when Jay and Ryan arrived, they threw Danny into the trunk in no time and slammed the lid shut.

"Get in, honey" Jay said as he ushered Alison to the back door. "We have to hurry."

He got onto the driver's seat and started the car as soon as all of them were inside. As they disappeared at the corner, they could see for a second as the first car with the Warbler logo arrived.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.

Kurt woke up to an annoying beeping sound coming from… somewhere in the room. He groaned in frustration and opened his eyes, only to find Blaine already sitting on the edge of the bed, with his phone in his hand.

"What is this sound?" Kurt asked.

"iGuard" Blaine replied.

It sounded familiar. Wait a second...

"But we are here" Kurt said. "We are not in danger…"

Unless it was somebody else who was in danger.

"It's Danny" Blaine said in the end.

They looked at each other for a brief second, taking in the information. If Danny sent an alert from his phone, it could only mean that...

"Oh, my God" Kurt cried out and jumped out of the bed.

They both ran to Danny's room and opened the door without knocking, only to find it completely empty.

"He isn't here!" Kurt said in panic.

"It came from outside of the house" Blaine said and left Kurt at the door to run into his study and get the exact coordinates because it was faster than checking them on his phone. A unit should already be on their way to Danny but it didn't mean they could sit at home and wait for them to bring the boy back. If Danny used the iGuard, it meant that he needed help. That he was in danger.

"Where is he?" Kurt asked desperately as he followed Blaine.

"I don't know… Just give me a second" Blaine said.

"Why isn't he home?" Kurt asked, close to tears. "He was supposed to be in his room..."

"I know!" Blaine shouted in frustration.

"He was upset" Kurt continued, talking mostly to himself. "After our fight… He must have left. God, I shouldn't have left him alone."

"I've got the coordinates" Blaine said as he stood up from his computer. "Get dressed, we have to leave."

They got ready in no time, both of them grabbing the first clothes they found. Before Kurt could blink, they were on their way to… somewhere. He didn't know where they were heading, he only knew that Blaine was just as worried, if not more worried than him. It couldn't mean anything good.

Just when Blaine parked the car at the park, his phone beeped. Blaine answered the call immediately. Kurt couldn't hear much of the conversation but Blaine turned pale so quickly, he knew it couldn't mean anything good.

"Stay where you are. I’ll be there soon" Blaine said and disconnected the call.

"What happened?" Kurt asked in fear.

Blaine didn't reply. He got out of the car without a word but Kurt noticed that he was shaking. Whatever had happened, it couldn't be good. Kurt was more scared then before.

They quickly made their way down the path and arrived to the scene within minutes. Kurt looked around frantically, his eyes searching for Danny. He didn't find him, though. He looked around twice but there was no sign of Danny.

"Where is my son?" Kurt asked, barely able to breath. This couldn't be happening…

"We got the call and arrived four minutes after that" one of the guards informed them. "This is what we found."

Blaine stepped away from them to look around. He crouched down, looking for signs in the dark park. There had been someone lying on the grass or better, crawling away from the bench a few feet away. Blaine got up and moved closer to the bench. Footprints. A lot of them. Maybe three or four people, he wasn't sure.

"Where is he?" Kurt asked in panic again. He needed answers. He had to know where Danny was, if he was safe… He needed to know what had happened, right now.

"Sir, we found this."

Kurt gasped as he followed Blaine to a tree and didn't need Blaine's affirmation to know that it was Danny's phone, broken into pieces. He pressed a hand to his lips, afraid that he would get sick.

"We were as fast as possible" one guard said. "But they were faster."

Blaine grabbed a piece of the phone from the ground and squeezed it tightly. He knew the signs. He didn't need someone to tell him what had happened here.

"Blaine…"

Blaine looked up at his fiancé, not knowing how to tell him the truth. As he looked into Kurt's eyes, he knew that he didn't have to say anything. Kurt knew exactly what had happened to their son.

"We will find him" Blaine said, his voice shaking. Because he knew the truth, that they had no idea where Danny was and how to find him or the people who had taken him.

Kurt threw his arms around him and broke down, loud sobs shaking his whole body. Blaine pulled him closer, his arms so tight around him that he was afraid of hurting him. He felt guilty. He had left Danny in their living room earlier that night, without making sure the boy was back in his room safely. And now Danny was gone… It was all his fault.

~ o ~

It felt so familiar… Sitting in the living room in silence, letting time pass over his head, without knowing anything about his son… Kurt felt like he was going to be sick. It had been hours since they had found Danny's phone in the park but there was still no sign of the boy. Blaine had made a whole bunch of Warblers work on Danny's case, his best men, just as their friends. He had also called the police, even if Kurt didn't want them to be there at all. They had failed once when Danny had been in danger. Kurt was pretty sure that they couldn't help them this time either.

Forcing his horrible thoughts about Danny being tortured to the back of his mind, he tried to figure out who and why had taken his son and how could they let this happen. Maybe it was because they weren't careful enough. Maybe someone was after his family and he hadn't even seen it coming. And now Danny was gone… What did those people want from them? Money? Would they call them and ask for ransom? That would be the easy way. They had a lot of money, they could easily pay for getting Danny back. But what if it was something more serious? What if there was a lunatic out there again who wanted to hurt his child? Kurt felt like he was going to be crazy.

"Honey, are you alright?" Blaine asked as he sat down beside Kurt.

"No" Kurt shook his head. "It's all my fault."

"Don't say that" Blaine said.

"It's true" Kurt said. "It's not like there weren't signs… He got in trouble all the time. I should have seen this coming."

"We didn't know" Blaine said, trying to convince Kurt just as himself. He felt guilty for letting this happen, too. "There was nothing we could do to stop this from happening."

"Should it make me feel better?" Kurt asked sadly. "I'm responsible for him. I have to keep him safe, no matter what happens. And I failed, again. I was blind and now I don't even know if I would get him back ever again."

"We will find him" Blaine said reassuringly. He could see how close Kurt was to tears. "We will find him and get him back safely."

"You can't be sure!" Kurt shouted, making Blaine jump. The man opened his mouth to say something but then Nick stepped to them and both of them looked at him.

"Guys, you should see this" Nick said. "Do you remember that recording you asked me to analyze?"

"Of course" Blaine nodded.

"I have the missing part" Nick said. "And you won't like what I found."

Kurt looked at Blaine in worry before following Nick into Blaine's study.Whatever it was Nick wanted to show them, he had to see. He wanted to know the truth.

Nick walked to the computer and started the recording. The beginning was familiar for Blaine, he had seen it so many times before, that was how he had noticed that something was out of order. But then came the part that had been missing before. There was a man on the screen, someone whose face they couldn't see. He walked to the house, peeked through the windows, then walked into the garden. He had spent a lot of time at their home, searching for… Whatever he wanted from them. Kurt pressed a hand to his lips, feeling sick. There had been a man in their garden weeks earlier. Maybe it wasn't even the only time he had been stalking them. He could have gotten into the house and hurt them all...

"Which night was it?" Kurt asked in fear.

"The one when we got engaged" Blaine answered carefully.

Kurt was definitely going to be sick. Danny had been alone in the house that night, the man must have seen him, he could have hurt him before… And Kurt was pretty sure that this man had taken Danny. Whatever he wanted from them, he wanted to use their child against them.

"Can you get a closer picture of him?" Blaine asked.

"Of course" Nick nodded.

Nick started working on the computer and within seconds, a picture appeared on the screen. They still couldn't see much of the man, it was too dark and he avoided looking into the cameras but it was still more than nothing.

"He looks familiar" Blaine muttered.

"You know him?" Kurt asked hopefully.

"I think I might have seen him before" Blaine replied. He wasn't sure when or where but he had seen this guy before.

"They are professionals" Nick said. "They knew where the cameras were and they broke into the system to manipulate the recordings. They knew what they were doing."

"Is it a team?" Blaine asked.

"It has to be" Nick nodded. "At least one more person who dealt with the cameras. Maybe even more, I can't tell without having more."

It made sense. Even if Danny had left the house on his own, he could defend himself, it wasn't that easy to take him, not to mention that they had found a lot of footprints on the scene. It had to be a team. A team wanting to hurt them. But why?

"I should have protected him better" Blaine shook his head, still blaming himself. "I knew that something was wrong. I should have… I should have done something."

"You didn't see this coming" Nick said gently.

It wasn't true. Blaine had known that they were in danger, he should have kept the bodyguards close all the time.

"Guys, we have something" Wes said as he joined them. "We went through the recordings of the house before Danny's disappearance. He texted someone before he left."

Kurt looked away, biting his lip nervously. The guys must have seen what had happened that night, what they had done. He felt guilty. They surely knew that they had had a fight before deciding to leave Danny all alone. All because of a few stupid words of a teenager...

"Who?" Blaine asked impatiently.

"David is working on it. He might get the text messages soon" Wes said.

"They lured him out of the house" Kurt said quietly.

"It looks like they did, yes" Wes nodded.

"We told him to be careful so many times" Kurt sighed, burying his face into his hands.

"It wasn't your fault" Nick said.

"It kind of was" Kurt said.

Blaine pulled him into his arms and kissed his forehead. He felt awful and he knew that Kurt felt just the same. They could have stopped this from happening but they had failed. And now who knew what those guys were doing to Danny… If something happened to the boy, they would never be able to forgive for themselves.

~ o ~

Alison glanced at Danny in worry. It had been hours since they had arrived but Danny was still unconscious. She was getting worried about him. He should have woken up by now. What if they had given him too much of the drug? What if Danny would never wake up again? They would spend the rest of their lives in jail…

It looked like she was the only one worried about the boy. Once they had tied him up, the boys had left Danny, acting like he wasn't even there. Alison couldn't believe they were so calm. They had just kidnapped someone, someone who was prepared for such situations on the top of that. She still didn't know what that alarm had been in the park but Danny had let someone know that he was in danger. It meant that his parents already knew about his disappearance and they were surely searching for him. She had a bad feeling that this wouldn't end well. If they found them, they would lock them up. God, she couldn't go to jail, she would go crazy in a small cell. She shouldn't have let Jay do this...

"Do you think he's alright?" Alison asked after a while.

"Of course" Jay said easily. "Let him sleep. It w’ll be a lot worse with him once he wakes up."

"I'm just worried" Alison said.

"Oh, don't say you like him, darling" Jay smirked.

It was hard to admit for herself but she kind of did. Danny was a nice kid, someone who didn't deserve to be treated like this.

"Do you want one?" Jay asked, raising a cigarette into the air.

"You can't smoke here" Alison gasped. "What about Danny?"

"He's our captive, not a guest" Ryan said, rolling his eyes.

"So you think you can poison him?" Alison asked with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Come on, let's go outside" Jay said in the end. "She’ll be pissed if we disturb her precious little toy in his sleep."

Alison glared at him but said nothing. She might have agreed to do this but she didn't want to hurt Danny. She only did this because they didn't have a choice. They needed that money to survive, to get out of the trouble they had caused for themselves. But Danny was innocent. His only fault was that his parents were rich and he had bumped into Alison that day at the mall. She knew very well that Danny didn't deserve to be treated like this and she wanted to make it easier for him. He would be angry with her, he would probably never talk to her again but he would forget about her eventually. At least she had to believe in that.

She walked to the boy, sitting still on the chair they had left him, his arms and legs tied to the chair securely. She checked on the ropes first, making sure they weren't too tight but also not loose enough to undo them. As she expected, Jay had done a perfect job with the ropes. Danny could fight as much as he wanted, he would never break free. Then she looked at the boy's face. They had taped Danny's mouth shut in case he freaked out and tried to scream. It was a deserted area but they couldn't risk anything. Danny was pale, paler than usual, and that huge bruise under his left eye seemed bad. It would surely hurt for a while.

Alison sighed as she reached out to brush a few locks of ginger hair out of Danny's face. Damn, this boy was so young, too young to end up in such a horrible situation. At least Alison didn't have to look into those huge, innocent eyes. It would make everything a lot worse.

She jumped as Danny let out a soft moan and slowly raised his head. She quickly stepped away from him, not knowing how he would act once his head was clear. The boy needed a few minutes to wake up. He blinked a few times, seemingly not knowing what was going on. Then he moved his head from side to side. His neck must have hurt from being in such an uncomfortable position for so long. Then he looked down and his eyes widened when he finally noticed the ropes binding him to the chair. And a second later, Danny started panicking.

Alison took another step backwards as Danny screamed, glad for the tape over his lips muffling his voice. He tried to pull his hands back, out of the ropes, to no avail. Alison knew that she had to do something before Danny hurt himself. 

"Hey, stop it" she said as she stepped forward, putting her hands on Danny's shoulders. 

The poor kid was so confused, he seemed like he didn't even believe his eyes first. He blinked a few times and pulled away from Alison as much as he could, shaking his head.

"I-I’ll get the tape off, okay? Just promise me to be silent" Alison said.

Danny hesitated for a moment but then he nodded. Alison sighed in relief and leaned forward to tear the piece of duct tape off of Danny's lips. The boy hissed in pain and closed his eyes for a second but then looked back at Alison.

"Alison, what's going on?" he asked shakily. "Where-where are we? Why am I tied up?"

Alison took a deep breath, not knowing what she should say. The truth? It would be so cruel.

"You have to let me go" Danny said.

"I can't" Alison said.

"Why are you doing this?" Danny asked hysterically.

"Danny, I'm sorry but we didn't have a choice" Alison said slowly.

"We?" Danny asked, slowly understanding what was going on. "Oh, my God. You-you… How could you do this?"

"You have to understand" Alison said. "We need money. A lot of money, or else those guys will come after us and kill us. This is our only choice."

"I don't have money!" Danny shouted desperately. "I-I can't help you..."

"No. But your dads can" Alison said.

Danny opened his mouth but nothing came out. He finally understood everything. It was all fake, Alison didn't love him, she was just using him to get what she wanted. Money. She wanted to ask for ransom to let him go. 

"No" Danny whispered. "No, this can't be happening…"

"It’ll be over soon" Alison said reassuringly. "We keep you here for a little while to scare your parents and then ask for ransom. Once they transfer the money, we’ll let you go."

Danny wanted to cry. He wanted to hide in his room and cry his heart out because this couldn't happen to him. He wasn't ready to accept that he dated a monster.

"Let me go. Please" he said.

"We will. Once this is over and we get to safety. We’ll call your fathers and tell them where to find you" Alison said, remembering the plan.

Danny closed his eyes, shaking his head. This was a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare, it couldn't be anything else… But if it wasn't, he had to do something. He couldn't just sit here and wait to be rescued. He tried to remember what Blaine had told him about such situations. He needed help. He had to let people know that he was here and he was in danger.

"Help!" he shouted. "Somebody help m-"

Suddenly, a cold hand was slapped over his mouth, muffling his voice.

"Shut up" Jay hissed into his ear before turning to Alison. "Why did you take the tape off?"

"He was scared. I just wanted to explain things for him" Alison replied.

"Somebody might hear him" Jay said. He tightened his hold on Danny as he leaned back down to his ear. "You are a smart boy, right, Danny? Then you know that you should listen to me. Be quiet. If you try to call for help again, we will tape your mouth shut. Do you understand?"

Danny closed his eyes and tried to nod, barely able to move his head with Jay's hand over his mouth.

"Very good" Jay nodded and stepped back.

Danny inhaled deeply when he was finally able to breath through his mouth again. He leaned his head down, blinking hard to fight back the tears threatening to escape. He had to stay strong. That was the only way to get out of this situation.

"Relax" Jay said easily as he sat down to the table and reached for his cigarettes again. "Just a day or two and you’ll be back to your daddies and you can forget that this ever happened."

Danny closed his eyes again, unable to look at his captors. Jay was wrong. He would never forget that the person he trusted so much betrayed him.

~ o ~

Ethan was tapping his feet impatiently. He wasn't prepared for this. Okay, he had known what those kids wanted from Danny but that they had actually succeeded and gotten away with him before Blaine could stop them caught him by surprise. Maybe Blaine wasn't the man he had known anymore. Maybe he had become weak and careless and this game he played with him was all pointless. Maybe he just wasted his time for nothing.

He would find out soon but first he had to deal with the kids. He already had a few ideas what to do...

"We know where they keep the boy" Mick said as he walked into the room without knocking.

Ethan nodded in silence and reached for his drink. He wasn't surprised, Mick always did his job.

"What do you want to do now?" Mick asked after a while.

Ethan watched the dark liquid in his glass for a while without saying anything. Those kids getting involved wasn't that bad actually. They could easily get Danny from them and use them for his own purposes without any of them noticing that something wasn't right. As much as Ethan adored young criminals, those three were simply stupid. They were lucky they managed to get Danny before Blaine and his friends stopped them.

"I want you to contact them" he said in the end. "They want money. Offer them a nice prize for the boy."

"Excuse me?" Mick asked slowly. He certainly wasn't used to making things like this.

"They want money for Danny" Ethan explained for him, rubbing his tired eyes. Sometimes Mick was so slow. "I want you to pay them and bring the boy here."

"Why don't we just take him?" Mick asked.

"Because I will make sure Blaine goes after those idiots instead of us" Ethan explained for him. 

"I really don't get it" Mick admitted.

"You don't have to understand anything. I know what I'm doing" Ethan said, losing his patience. "I want you to pay them and then bring the boy to me. Unhurt."

"You are crazy" Mick shook his head.

"I'm patient, my friend" Ethan said. He glanced at the screen in front of him and the hundreds of photos of Blaine and his family. Things had taken an unexpected turn but it might be better than his original plan. 

"As you wish" Mick said as he turned around.

Ethan didn't look after him, he was busy planning the future and all those beautiful ways he would hurt Blaine.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Here is a longer chapter for you. Have a wonderful weekend!

Danny hissed in pain as the ropes cut into his skin again. He knew he should stop struggling because it was completely pointless and he only hurt himself by tugging on his restrains but he couldn't help it. Long hours had passed since he had woken up, he was tired and thirsty and hungry and oh, so angry. He wanted to get out of here and go home to his family, hopefully forgetting about Alison and her crazy friends as soon as possible. As if it was so easy… Alison didn't even care about his feelings. She and Jay spent the afternoon together, kissing and touching the other shamelessly in front of him, as if Danny wasn't even there at all. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid… He had gone into a fight with his parents to defend this girl who didn't deserve to be loved at all. He had said horrible things to defend her… He had hurt Kurt for her, all for nothing. Because Alison was a completely different person than he knew.

"Are you going to call my parents or just let me die here of boredom?" Danny asked after a while. He didn't want to stay with these people any longer. He wanted to go home.

"I guess we should wait a little more" Jay said as he glanced at his watch. "Give them time to realize that you are gone."

Danny rolled his eyes. Blaine had probably figured out what had happened minutes after Danny had been taken and now he and his team were searching for him. It was just the matter of time that they found him. Only Danny wasn't patient enough to wait for them.

"Let's get over with it" Danny said. "You need that money, right? Let's not waste any more time. Just call them."

"Impatient, are we?" Jay smirked as he gave Alison one last kiss and stood up to walk to Danny. "How much do you think they are willing to pay for you?"

Alison stood up and joined Jay again, sneaking her arms around him from behind. Danny felt like he was going to be sick from them.

"It doesn't matter" he snorted, unable to hold himself back. He had never been betrayed like this and although he knew it wasn't too smart to tell these guys the truth, he couldn't stop himself. He was too angry. "You won't get a single penny from my parents. They already know that I'm missing and they are searching for me. It's just the matter of time and they’ll find me and then you’ll be in trouble."

"Oh, please, are you honestly trying to tell me that your parents have enough power to stop us? Alone?" Jay smiled.

"Do you even know who they are?" Danny asked. Something told him that the others had no idea what they had gotten into. Great. It could be useful.

"Kurt is an actor and Blaine plays in a band" Jay shrugged. 

"And Blaine is also known as CEO of the Warbler Groups" Danny smiled. That was it. He would make them so scared that they would let him go without trouble.

"The Warblers?" Ryan asked with wide eyes.

"Exactly" Danny nodded. "You should just let me go, guys, before it's too late."

"What are we going to do now?" Alison asked desperately.

"Nothing. He's lying" Jay said.

"Are you telling me that you didn't even check my background before you took me?" Danny asked, shaking his head. "Huge mistake."

"He's telling us the truth" Ryan gasped in horror as he made a quick research on Blaine. Danny was right about him.

"We are going to end up in jail" Alison said in panic.

"No, we won't" Jay said sternly.

"You heard him! They’ll find us and..."

"They won't" Jay said.

"What are we going to do now?" Alison screamed.

"I don't know!" Jay shouted back. 

There was a moment of silence when nobody moved or said anything. Danny held back his breath as he waited for the others to make a decision. Hopefully the one that allowed him to leave this place.

"Just… give me some time to think" Jay said in the end and turned to leave.

"You can't leave just like that" Alison shouted as she went after him.

"I have to figure out what to do next" Jay said as he turned back to face her before he stepped out of the room. "Stay with him. I don't care what he tells you, don't let him go. I’ll be back soon."

"Jay…"

Jay quickly left and slammed the door closed behind him, not wasting any more time. Danny sighed, shaking his head. That wasn't what he had hoped would happen.

~ o ~

Kurt was pacing in his room, unable to stop for a second. Long hours had passed since Danny's disappearance and he still didn't know anything about his child. It was driving him crazy. It didn't help that Blaine left him out of everything, too. He and the other Warblers left the house once they were done with the proofs there to use the company's devices because it was a lot faster than working from home. Kurt was left alone with a few bodyguards Blaine had gotten for him, afraid that Kurt might get hurt while he was gone. 

Kurt walked back to the nightstand and checked on his phone. Nothing. There was no call or text from Blaine or anybody else. He had been hoping that the people who had taken his son would contact him but the call never came. It could only mean that those people didn't want ransom but something else from them. Kurt tried to figure out what it could be. He wasn't stupid, he knew that it had to do something with those weird things that had happened to them lately. Somebody was messing with them but they went too far this time. Kurt wouldn't let anyone hurt his child, he would make sure his son's kidnappers got what they deserved.

He grabbed his phone again and tried to call Blaine but he didn't answer. It wasn't the first time since Blaine had left and it frustrated Kurt. Okay, they were working hard to find Danny but it didn't mean Blaine should ignore his calls and texts. It could be something important as well. 

Deciding that he would visit Blaine and find out what they knew, Kurt stepped out of his room and bumped into the young bodyguard who was supposed to keep him safe.

"Brad" Kurt gasped as he quickly stepped back. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry, Sir. Mr Anderson asked me to check on you" Brad said.

"You talked to him?" Kurt asked in surprise. Blaine didn't answer his calls but he talked to his bodyguard? Why would Blaine do that to him?

"Yes, Sir" Brad nodded. "I promised him to call him back once I made sure you are alright."

Kurt pressed his lips together in anger. Blaine knew exactly how he felt, how badly he wanted to know more about his son, and decided to check on him through another person instead of calling him? No, Kurt wouldn't let him do that. He was tired of waiting and doing nothing. He wanted to help.

"I guess I should call him back" Brad said awkwardly when he saw the anger in Kurt's eyes.

"There's no need to call my fiancé, Brad" Kurt said. "I'm gonna visit him."

"But Sir, Mr Anderson gave me strict orders…"

"I don't care what Blaine told you to do" Kurt said as he turned towards the stairs, not even looking at the bodyguard following him. "I'm going to him. You can come with me or stay here, your decision. But you can't hold me back."

"Yes, Sir" Brad said quietly. Mr Anderson's fiancé was just as frightening as his boss.

~ o ~

Jay practically ran away from the house and onto the deserted street, making sure nobody followed him before he stopped. He walked to the wall and pressed his head to the cold surface, closing his eyes. They were in huge trouble this time and he had no idea what to do. He couldn't let the others see that he was scared, that was why he had left so quickly. He had to think without Alison panicking around him. They had to be very careful, make the right decision and he knew that only he was able to do that. Damn, it was so hard… They had planned everything so well, he had thought that nothing could stop them anymore… But then Danny had revealed the truth and everything fell apart. Jay wasn't stupid, he knew that they were no match against Blaine Anderson and his well-trained bodyguards. They would catch them, probably before they could get the money and they would end up in jail. There was another way, they could let Danny go and leave, hoping that they were fast enough to leave the city before getting caught. It wouldn't work, though. They couldn't leave without giving Tommy his money back because the man would send his men after them and they would surely get killed. Jay didn't like any of those options. There had to be another one, he just had to find it…

Suddenly, a van stopped beside him and Jay turned around in fear. Two men stepped out of the car and grabbed his arms before he could step away, dragging him to the back door.

"Hey! What are you doing?" he shouted in fear.

One man opened the door and the other pushed him forward. Jay fell and groaned in pain as he landed in his stomach. He pushed himself up into a sitting position but it was too late. The door was already closed and locked safely. 

"Hello, Jay."

It was the first time he noticed that he wasn't alone. There was a huge man with scars on his face sitting beside him, someone Jay hadn't seen before but scared hi mto death. He quickly pushed himself away from him and jumped to the door, trying to open it.

"It's locked" the man said calmly.

Jay pulled on the handle one more time before giving up. There was no way out of here, not if those men didn't want to let him go.

"What do you want from me?" Jay asked.

"I have an offer for you" the man said. "You have something I want."

"Did Tommy send you?" Jay asked. "Because I already told him, I need some more time to…"

"You need money" the man nodded. "I know. I can give you that. I only want something in return."

He grabbed a bag from beside him and opened it, showing Jay its content. The boy's eyes widened as he looked at the money in front of him. He had no idea how much it could be that it was surely enough to pay his debt. Probably even more.

"20000" the man said. "It can be all yours."

"What do you want in return?" Jay asked. Something wasn't right this guy.

"You have Blaine Anderson's son" the man said. "I want him."

Jay didn't know what to say. It seemed too good to be true. This man offered him a lot of money and he only wanted Danny… But why would he help them? How did he even know about them?

"How…"

"I have my ways" the man said.

"I-I can't do that" Jay said hesitantly. He wanted to. He wanted that money, he wanted to get rid of Danny, everything this man offered for him. But he couldn't trust this guy he didn't even know.

"Of course you can. And you will" the man smirked.

"What do you want from him?" Jay asked. Something wasn't right here.

"Let's say I have unfinished business with his father" the man said.

"You-you will hurt him?" Jay asked. He didn't want to get involved something bad. He could get caught and end up in jail. He didn't want that.

"It's none of your business" the man said. "Accept my offer. Take the money and leave the city. I assure you, no one will ever find out what you and your friends did to that kid."

He would get the money he needed. He could pay the debt and leave with Alison. He could be happy for the rest of his life without worrying about the money. He knew he had to accept it...

"Let me talk to my friends" Jay said in the end. "I-I guess we’ll accept your offer."

"I’ll be waiting here" the man smiled as he reached out to open the door for Jay.

~ o ~

Kurt walked straight to Blaine's office without letting anyone hold him back. He wanted to see what Blaine had found out, he wanted to know everything. He needed that information, immediately. He pushed the door of Blaine's office open and walked inside, Brad following him silently like a scared puppy.

"Kurt, what are you doing here?" Blaine asked as he stood up from his desk.

"What do you think? You didn't call me back" Kurt said angrily.

"Look, we were busy…"

"Busy? Someone kidnapped our son and you didn't feel like you should inform me about the case?" Kurt asked. His eyes landed on the screen on the wall and he turned pale as he recognized that face. Alison. It was Alison's photo. He didn't need much time to know what had happened. "It was her."

"We read Danny's last messages before…" Wes fell silent as Blaine looked at him, shaking his head. It didn't go unnoticed by Kurt, though.

"It was her" Kurt said again.

"Yes" Blaine nodded. "She lured Danny to the park. They knocked him out and left with a car. We have the recordings and a team is working on finding that car."

"And you still didn't tell me?" Kurt asked.

"I didn't want to upset you" Blaine said.

Kurt shook his head as he stepped away. How could Blaine think that he was okay with this? His son was kidnapped by his crazy girlfriend and Blaine didn't feel like Kurt should know about it?

"Where does she live?" Kurt asked.

"We are searching for her…"

"Check on her friends" Kurt said.

"Kurt, we are trying to find her…"

"Then try harder!" Kurt shouted. He didn't want to talk to Blaine like this but he was so worried… He couldn't stay calm any longer.

"Why don't we… go and get ourselves a coffee?" Blaine offered. He knew he had screwed up and he should talk to Kurt, help him calm down a bit. Apparently, it didn't seem like Kurt understood what he wanted.

"I don't need a damn coffee. I need my son back" Kurt said. "Just find him!"

"Kurt, we…"

Kurt turned around and left as quickly as he arrived. Brad looked at Blaine for orders and followed Kurt as soon as Blaine nodded towards him. It was pointless to talk to Kurt in this state anyway. Kurt was right, it wouldn't bring them closer to find Danny.

"He is just worried about Danny" Nick said quietly.

"I know. And he's right" Blaine sighed. "Alright, gentlemen. I'm open to every idea that helps us find Danny faster."

"Don't you want to talk to him?" Jeff asked uncertainly.

"I will" Blaine said. "Once I bring our son home safely."

~ o ~

Danny started to get worried. Once Jay left, things went a lot worse. Both Alison and Ryan was panicking and he was afraid that they would do something horrible.

"Guys, you have to calm down" Danny said gently.

"Shut up!" Alison shouted, gripping her hair. "Shit, I knew we shouldn't have taken you…"

"Finally something we agree in" Danny spat angrily.

"We have to go" Ryan said quietly.

"Excuse me?" Alison asked as she turned to him. "You heard Jay, we have to…"

"Jay left!" Ryan shouted. "He doesn't care about us, why should we worry about him? Let's leave the kid here and run. We can get out of the city before his dads arrive."

"We need the money!" Alison said. "Tommy will come after us, we have to pay the debt or he’ll kill us!"

Danny had no idea what they were talking about. Okay, he had figured out that they had to pay for someone but they surely weren't stupid enough to get involved in such dangerous business… Right? He couldn't be sure… It looked like Alison was a completely different person than the one she had let him see and her friends weren't better either.

"Guys, just listen to me…" Danny made another attempt to make them listen but that insane flame in Alison's eyes made him fall silent immediately.

"I told you to shut up" Alison hissed.

Danny nodded quickly. Damn, this girl was sick. How could he fall in love with her and let her blind him, he had no idea.

"This will make it" Ryan said suddenly as he stepped to Danny.

The boy had no idea what he was talking about at first but as he glanced down and his eyes landed on the golden ring attached to the chains around his neck, his eyes widened. 

"You can't have it" Danny said quickly.

"I'm sorry, man" Ryan said as he quickly grabbed the ring. "I don't have a choice."

"You don't understand! That belonged to my father! That's everything I have left of him!" Danny shouted desperately.

"What's going on here?"

Alison sighed in relief as Jay stepped into the room, seemingly a lot calmer than before. He smiled as Alison ran to him and threw her arms around him.

"Jay! I thought…"

"What? That I would leave you?" Jay smiled. "I told you, I just needed time to think. To find a solution."

"And you did?" Ryan asked.

"Of course" Jay nodded.

He seemed too happy for some reason that made Danny worried.

"And what is it?" Danny asked carefully.

Jay stepped away from Alison and walked to the boy.

"It looks like it's our lucky day" Jay said. "I just happened to meet one of your father's enemies. He is willing to pay a whole fortune for us and he only wants us to hand you over."

"What?" Danny asked in fear. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't get any worse, right?

"Jay, what are you talking about?" Alison asked.

"That's the only way, babe" Jay said as he turned to face her. "We have to get rid of him before his dads come after us but we also need the money… That guy, he promised me to pay. I saw the money, Alison! We’ll be rich!"

"You want to sell me to some freak you don't even know?" Danny asked in disbelief.

"Jay…" Alison started as he turned to her boyfriend. For the first time since being here with them, she looked like she wanted to protect Danny.

"This is our only chance" Jay said.

"Alison. You can't let this happen to me" Danny said quietly. He had no idea who the mysterious man could be and he didn't want to find out. Not like this. 

"I'm sorry, Danny. We don't have a choice" Alison said, shaking her head.

"Of course you do!" Danny shouted. "Please… Just once in your life do something right!"

"I'm so sorry" Alison whispered as she stepped away from him and towards the door.

If Danny had felt betrayed before, it was nothing compared to what he felt in that moment. He couldn't believe Alison was so heartless.

"So I guess you made your decision."

Danny's eyes quickly found the source of the voice, a man standing at the door, his face hidden in the shadows.

"How did you get in here?" Ryan asked with wide eyes.

The man didn't bother to reply. He turned his head towards Jay, waiting for his reply. The boy grabbed Alison's hand and pulled her towards the door.

"Give us the money and he is yours" Jay said.

Danny shook his head as he glanced at the bag in the man's hands. He opened it to show its content for the others and then pushed it into Jay's hands.

"Now get the hell out of here" the man said. "You have no business here anymore."

He finally stepped out of the shadows and Danny's eyes grew impossibly wide as he took in the sight in front of him. It was a huge man, a lot taller than Kurt, muscular and bald, covered in tattoos and… scars. He had a lot of scars. He wasn't the only one who gasped in fear. Alison quickly backed away from the man and glanced at Danny in worry.

"Did you not hear me?" the man asked as he stepped forward. "We made a deal. You got what you wanted. Now leave us alone."

With one last glance at him, Alison stepped forward and grabbed Jay's hand again. She whispered 'I'm sorry' again but Danny couldn't take her seriously anymore. He hoped that she wouldn't be able to forget his face and she would suffer for what she did for the rest of her life. Alison disappeared from his sight soon, though, and Danny's eyes returned to the man and he gulped nervously. Now it was only the two of them here. There was no one to help him.

Danny stayed frozen in his seat as the man took small steps towards him, seemingly enjoying the fear in the boy's eyes. Danny tried not to look into his eyes and focused on his face instead. He was pretty sure that he didn't know this guy but he looked oddly familiar for some reason. He looked at the scars on the man's cheeks. Yeah, he had seen him before. But where?

The boy's eyes widened when he finally realized where he had seen this man before. The night of Kurt and Blaine's engagement, the one he had spent alone at home… The shadow he had seen in the garden. It was all real. The man was real and now he was here for him. Panicking, Danny struggled to break free from his restrains, desperate to get away from the man as he slowly made his way to the boy. The man was smiling. He was smiling at him, clearly enjoying the situation. Danny whimpered in fear and tried to free his hands with all of his strength. It only made the man's smile grow wider.

"You are coming with me" the man said as he reached Danny.

"Please…" Danny whispered. "Just… Just let me go."

The man pulled out a knife and Danny forgot how to breath as the man raised the knife in front of him, his eyes glued at the weapon.

"Here is what's gonna happen" the man said slowly. "I'm gonna cut the ropes and you are going to stay still until I tell you to move. Don't try anything or you’ll regret it. Got it?"

Danny nodded shakily, trying to fight his fear. He knew what he had to say but he also knew that if he was fast enough, he had a chance to run. He had to be careful, wait for that one second when he could make a move. He was so scared, though… Could he make it? Could he fight off this guy and run away from him?

He had to try… Whatever this man wanted from him, he couldn't let it happen. He had a bad feeling that it would be far worse than what Alison and her friends had planned for him. He didn't want to get hurt. He just wanted to go home to Kurt and Blaine, where he was safe and no one could hurt him. So he had to do it.

Danny closed his eyes as the man cut the ropes around his ankles and only looked down again when the man moved to his arms. The boy took a deep breath, slightly moving his legs. They didn't work like usually, thanks to the lot of time he had spent bound to the chair but he had to try. He had to believe that he was able to get out of here.

Once his arms were free and the man pulled away from him, Danny knew that it was the right moment. He grabbed the arms of the chair and raised his leg, kicking the man between his legs as hard as he could manage. The man groaned in pain and took a step away from him, just Danny had expected. He didn't hesitate any longer. Once the way was free, he pushed himself up from the chair and started running towards the door, forcing his sore body to move faster.

He almost reached the handle when he was grabbed, strong arms sneaking around him from behind and lifting him off his feet. Danny screamed as the man dragged him away from the door and tried to kick him again while his hands tugged on the arms around his chest, desperate to break free from the strong hold. The man put him down again and for a moment, Danny hoped that he would let go of him, but the man held him still with one arm while he grabbed the boy's neck with his free hand. Danny's eyes widened as the hold on his neck tightened, making it hard to breath.

"I told you to stay still" the man hissed into his ear. "Stupid kid. Did you honestly think that you could get away from me?"

Danny's vision started to turn grey. He grabbed the man's wrist and worked with his other hand on the strong hold on his neck but it didn't loosen the slightest. The boy knew what would happen next. He became weaker with every passed second, unable to breath properly. He would pass out soon. He would lose consciousness and once it happened, he could do nothing to stop this from happening. The man would kill him, he would choke him to death and then leave his body here, in this deserted and dirty house. He would never see his family again…

Just before he could pass out, though, the man suddenly let go of his neck and pushed him onto the ground. Danny landed on his stomach and bumped his head into the leg of the table. For a second, he was unable to breath, the sudden pain in his head blinding him. But then his vision became somewhat clearer and Danny started coughing, his lungs desperately fighting for oxygen.

Knowing that the boy wouldn't be able to move anytime soon, the man went to the table and grabbed the duct tape Jay had left there earlier. Then he went back to Danny and grabbed his ankles, pulling him closer. Danny made a weak attempt to pull away from him but the man was a lot stronger and within seconds, the boy's ankles were tied again. Then the man knelt over Danny and grabbed his wrists in one hand while he rolled the duct tape around the boy's wrists with the other over and over again, until he was sure Danny was bound securely.

"Please" Danny said quietly, once he was able to talk again. He had to do something. He had to make this man listen and let him go before it was too late. "My-my parents… They have money. Just let me go and I swear they will…"

The man tore a piece of duct tape and pressed it over the boy's lips, silencing him. Then he grabbed Danny's chin and pulled him closer. Danny moaned in pain as the strong fingers cut into his skin but stayed still. He was scared of what would happen to him if he fought again.

"I don't need your fathers' money" the man said. He stood up and forced Danny to stand up as well, barely able to stand on his unsteady feet. "I want them. And you’ll help me get them."

I want them… Danny felt like he was going to be sick. This man not only wanted to take him and do who knew what to him, he also wanted to hurt his family and he could do nothing to stop him. He shook his head and did his best to get the tape off of his mouth, desperately trying to make the man listen to him but he didn't care at all. He grabbed Danny's hands and before the boy could blink, he threw him over his shoulder and put a strong arm around the boy's waist to keep him still. Danny screamed and struggled but it only made the man laugh. He turned around and walked to the door, carrying the boy on his shoulder as if Danny weighed nothing.

Danny did his best to fight against the man as he walked to the van with him. He screamed and kicked and hit the man but he couldn't stop him. Too soon, they reached the van and the man opened the back door and threw the teenager inside. Danny closed his eyes as he landed on his back, a new wave of dizziness rushing through him. He tried to take deep breaths through his nose and not to panic because he was pretty sure that he would throw up if he couldn't calm down. It was easier said than done, though. He was so scared…

Danny whimpered and tried to pull away as the man raised a piece of dark material in front of his eyes. The man gripped his hair quickly and pulled his head back.

"I'm gonna blindfold you" the man explained. "Stay still."

Danny made another weak attempt to pull away but the man's grip on his hair only got tighter.

"I said stay still" the man said again. "You better do as I tell you because I won't hesitate to hurt you if I have to."

Danny believed him. He had seen what this man was capable of. Too scared of the consequences, he stayed completely still as the man fixed the material around his head, making sure the boy couldn't see anything. Then he let go of Danny and the boy slowly pushed himself away from him, needing to be as far from this man as possible.

Mick smirked as he motioned dfor his men to start the car and reached into his pocket for his phone. He glanced down at the boy again as he dialed Ethan's number. Danny tried to be still but he couldn't stop shaking. He was scared, just like Mick wanted him to be.

"Do you have him?" Ethan asked immediately as he answered the call.

"Of course" Mick said, smiling again as he reached out for Danny's arm but the boy pulled away, shaking more than before.

"Excellent" Ethan said before disconnecting the call.

Mick pushed his phone back into his pocket and leaned back against the wall, keeping his eyes on the boy beside him. Now that was something he would enjoy for sure, not some boring game they had played before. It was finally what he had been waiting for so long. They would destroy Anderson's family and he would enjoy every second of it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.

Blaine finally gathered his courage to face his fiancé. He knew that Kurt was angry and he had every right to be, but Blaine didn't regret keeping him out of this before they found out more about Alison and her friends. Kurt was so worried, he didn't need more stress than necessary.

Blaine wasn't surprised that he found Kurt in front of the building, with his back pressed against the wall, watching the crowded street. Brad was there with him, watching Kurt from a safe distance. Blaine smiled at the bodyguard as he stepped closer to them. Brad reminded him on his young self, he was enthusiastic and trustworthy, even if he had some more to learn. Like how to treat a teenager, for example. Although Blaine had never mentioned for him that he had let Danny leave the house that night of the competition, Brad worked harder than before since then, semeingly trying to show Blaine that he was good enough for the job. Blaine liked this kind of employee, he wished he could have more of them.

Blaine took a deep breath and slowly walked to Kurt. He motioned Brad to give them some space and when the bodyguard stepped away from Kurt, Blaine walked to his fiancé and carefully pulled him into his arms, not knowing how Kurt would react. Luckily, Kurt didn't seem to be angry anymore. He put his arms around Blaine's neck and pulled him closer, inhaling deeply.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked.

"I'm sorry for earlier. I just…" Kurt sighed heavily as he pulled away.

"This is hard for you. For both of us" Blaine said.

"That's why I shouldn't have acted like that" Kurt said.

"You want to find him" Blaine shrugged. "I know how worried you are but we’ll find them."

"Do you have anything?" Kurt asked.

"We still don't know where they are but I have people everywhere in the city searching for them. I also called that detective we helped out a few months ago. He promised me to call if they find anything" Blaine said.

"Okay" Kurt said quietly.

"They can't disappear with Danny" Blaine said reassuringly. "We will find them soon and then we will bring him back."

"I'm just so worried about him" Kurt sighed.

"I know, honey, but he is fine. Believe me, they won't hurt him" Blaine said.

"How do you know?" Kurt asked.

Blaine took a deep breath. Now they knew a lot more about Alison but Kurt certainly wouldn't like what they found.

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

"It's not the first time they commit crime" Blaine said quietly.

"What?" Kurt gasped. "You-you mean they…"

"They didn't take anyone like this before but they stole from several people. It looks like that's what they do for living" Blaine said.

"By they you mean…"

"Alison and two other boys" Blaine said. 

"Is there something else I should know about?" Kurt asked, knowing that Blaine was hiding something.

"One of those boys… Well, he was arrested before" Blaine said carefully.

"Why?" Kurt asked.

"He almost killed another boy in his school" Blaine said.

"Oh, my God!" Kurt said with wide eyes. He turned pale in a blink and quickly grabbed Blaine's arms for support, afraid that he would collapse.

"Kurt, they want ransom. They won't hurt Danny because they need the money…"

"What if they will?" Kurt asked desperately.

"Guys!"

Blaine sighed as he turned around and saw Jeff running towards them. Just in the best moment. 

"What is it?" Blaine asked.

"We found them" Jeff said shortly.

"Is Danny alright?" Kurt asked quickly.

"I mean the gang" Jeff said hesitantly, knowing that the others wouldn't like this. "Danny… Well, Danny wasn't with them."

"What do you mean he wasn't with them?" Kurt asked.

"We ‘ll figure out" Blaine said reassuringly. "I'm gonna call my friends at the police and ask them to give us a chance to talk to those kids. I want to know everything."

"I'm coming with you" Kurt said.

"Kurt, I don't think you…"

"I want to talk to that girl myself" Kurt said determinedly. 

"Are you sure you want this?" Blaine asked in worry.

"Perfectly sure" Kurt said. He certainly had to discuss a few things with Alison. Starting with what would happen to her if she didn't tell them where Danny was.

~ o ~

Ethan smiled as he watched the unmoving boy lying on the other side of the room. Since Mick had brought him here and dumped him onto the dirty mattress, Danny didn't move the slightest. He was awake, Ethan could tell as much because he couldn't stop shaking, but even if he felt uncomfortable like that, he was too scared to move. No wonder, he had no idea where he was or what was around him. Danny was still bound and blindfolded and they were out of his earshot.

"It's time for some fun" Ethan said.

"What do you want to do?" Mick asked.

"I want to play with him" Ethan said. He had been waiting for this moment for months. He had Blaine's kid and he could do anything he wanted to him.

He grabbed the bottle of water and the sandwich his men had gotten for him and stepped forward. As he got closer to the boy, Danny raised his head. He was right, Danny was awake, and he could hear him move closer to him.

Ethan crouched down beside the boy and grabbed his arm, pulling him up into a sitting position. Danny screamed and tried to pull away but Ethan held his arm in a tight grip.

"Hey, don't be afraid" he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. He had to do it that way because he needed more information and he knew very well that this play was necessary for that.

He reached for the blindfold and pulled it off. Danny closed his eyes immediately, the sudden light hurting his eyes. Ethan gave him time to get used to the lights of the room and look around. Danny was clearly scared. He looked around frantically and his breathing sped up as he noticed Mick and a few more guards standing on the other side of the room before he looked back at Ethan, the muscular man with short blond hair and blue eyes. Although Ethan knew that he didn't look as threatening as Mick, Danny was just as scared of him as of the large man with scars.

"I'm not gonna hurt you" Ethan said reassuringly. "Stay still, so I can untie you."

Danny hesitated for a moment but then he nodded. Ethan took out the knife from his pocket, moving slowly not to scare the boy. Danny was completely still as he cut through the duct tape around his ankles and then moved up to his wrists. Once his hands were free, Danny reached for the tape over his mouth and tore it off. He kept his eyes on Ethan the whole time, waiting for him to stop him but Ethan just kept smiling at him.

"Are you thirsty?" Ethan asked, grabbing the bottle from the ground.

"Who-who are you?" Danny asked in panic. "What do you want from me?"

Ethan sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair, glancing at Mick. As he expected, Danny came to the wrong conclusion. 

"I wish I could help you but I can't" he said.

"Why is he doing this?" Danny asked in a small voice.

"He had some business with your dad in the past. I don't know the details" Ethan said.

Mick waited for a few more seconds and then left, leaving only one guards behind as Ethan had told him. Danny seemingly relaxed a bit when he left, he leaned his back against the wall and took a deep breath.

"Look, I think you should drink" Ethan said as he raised the bottle he held in his hand again. "I heard that you had a few rough days. It's not much but…"

Danny hesitated again. Of course, Blaine had surely taught him a thing or two. But he was just a kid. He couldn't resist the cool water Ethan offered him, not after having nothing for more than a day. Ethan smiled as he opened the bottle for him and pushed it into Danny's shaking hands. The boy raised the bottle to his lips and took long gulps of the water.

"Slowly" Ethan smiled as he reached for the now almost empty bottle and pulled it away. "I’ll get you more a little later."

Danny slowly pushed himself away from the man and pulled up his knees, sneaking his arms around them.

"Please, let me go" he whispered. "My-my parents must be worried about me..."

"I can't do that" Ethan said.

"What are you going to do to me?" Danny asked, shaking again.

Ethan glanced at the boy's injuries. Although he had told Mick not to hurt him, Danny had a huge bruise on his face, a cut on his forehead, a few smaller bruises around his neck and his wrists. Danny had caused some of them for himself but Mick hadn't gone easy on him either.

"We should clean you up a bit" Ethan said.

"Answer me!" Danny almost shouted.

Ethan couldn't hide his smile. Even if Danny was terrified, he tried to stay strong. It reminded him on his own young self.

"You are safe for now" Ethan said. "You were brought here because of Blaine but if you don't do anything stupid, you’ll be fine."

"I don't understand" Danny said. "You said that he had had some business with that guy…"

"Mick" Ethan said.

"...But I know Blaine. He would never get into anything with someone like him" Danny said.

Ethan tried his best not to smile again. The boy seemingly didn't know anything about Blaine's past. It was time to find out how much he knew.

"I heard that he was a bodyguard" Ethan said.

"Yeah" Danny nodded. "A pretty good one."

"I also heard that he had taken on every kind of job at the beginning. When he didn't have too many jobs" Ethan pressed a little harder.

"Are you telling me that Blaine worked for him?" Danny asked, nodding towards the door, and then shook his head. "No. That's impossible."

"Sometimes people don't have a choice" Ethan said.

"Blaine is not like that" Danny replied.

Ethan sighed. The kid was stupid if he believed that Blaine was perfect.

"Are you sure? Even if I tell you that Blaine knew that Mick was in the city?" Ethan asked carefully. It wasn't completely true but he had heard Blaine and his fiancé with their friends earlier. They had found the recordings of Mick, even if Blaine hadn't recognized the man.

"He…" Danny fell silent. Some things Ethan said made sense. A lot of weird things had happened to them lately and Blaine had always been so worried about something. Not to mention the steps he had made for their safety. Blaine must have known that something was wrong.

"What is it?" Ethan asked.

"He's been weird" Danny said quietly. "Like…"

"Like?" Ethan asked.

"It's nothing" Danny shook his head.

Ethan almost groaned in frustration. Just when he thought he could get something out of the kid, Danny decided not to tell him more.

"You can trust me" he said gently.

But Danny didn't. He knew that he had said too much and he had to be careful around this man. He couldn't trust anyone. Ethan accepted it for now. He could have forced the kid to tell him everything he wanted to know but he wasn't in rush. He would just try it again later.

"I’ll be back later" he said as he stood up and grabbed the paper bag from the ground, holding it out in front of Danny. "It's not much but I’ll get you more soon."

He thought that Danny wouldn't accept the food but in the end, he reached for the paper bag and took it from Ethan's hand. The man smiled. He would get what he wanted, he just had to take small steps.

~ o ~

Kurt and Blaine walked down the corridor in complete silence. Thanks to Blaine's connections, it was easy to arrange some private time with those kids who had taken Danny. Kids… As it turned out, Blaine was right about Alison's age, just like everything else about her. Kurt was so angry with the girl, he wanted to talk to her himself. He was the best person for the job.

"Are you sure you want this?" Blained asked in concern.

"I want to talk to her privately" Kurt said.

"Kurt. You don't have to…"

One angry glance at him was enough to silence Blaine. Kurt was angry and desperate, there was no one who could have stopped him. He wanted to look straight into Alison's eyes when he talked to her.

"If that's what you want" Blaine sighed.

Kurt squeezed his hand as they reached the door and waited for the policeman to open it. Once the man stepped aside, Kurt took a deep breath and walked inside. His eyes found the girl sitting at the desk immediately. Alison was pale and seemingly scared, and when she recognized him, her eyes widened even more. Good. That was exactly how Kurt wanted to make her feel.

"Mr Hummel, what are you…"

"What do you think?" Kurt asked as he walked to the desk and sat down.

"You shouldn't be here…"

"I have connections" Kurt explained.

Alison tried to breath properly but she failed. She was shaking like a leaf.

"Alison Campbell" Kurt said, remembering what he had read about the girl. "24. You just look older, right?"

"I can explain…"

"I'm not interested" Kurt said, his voice colder than ice. "I only want to know what you did to my son and where he is."

"I don't know!" Alison said desperately.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Kurt asked in fear.

"I'm so sorry!" Alison cried. "I didn't want to do it, I swear, but Jay said…"

"Stop!" Kurt said quickly. "What do you mean you don't know where my son is?"

Alison took a deep breath and wiped her face, preparing herself for Kurt's wrath.

"Danny told us everything about you" Alison started. "We panicked. We knew that you would find us and send us to jail… But then Jay came back and told us that that man would solve our problem… That he would pay us a whole fortune for Danny…"

"You… You sold my son to that man?" Kurt asked, barely able to breath. He had thought that Danny was locked up somewhere all alone but this was far worse.

"That was our only choice" Alison said.

"You let that man take my son?" Kurt shouted as he jumped up and slammed his hands onto the desk. Alison pulled away immediately, clearly terrified of him. "Where is he?"

"I don't know!" Alison cried.

"Tell me, Alison, or I swear…"

"He left with Danny!" Alison said. "He sent us away but we stayed back and saw everything. He dragged Danny to a van and left with him."

Kurt closed his eyes and forced himself to take a few calming breaths. They didn't have any time left. They had to figure out where Danny was, immediately.

"What did that man look like?" Kurt asked.

"He was scary" Alison said. "He was huge and had those scars..."

"Scars?" Kurt asked.

"All over his face and neck" Alison said.

Kurt knew who she was talking about. The mysterious man in the garden.

"What do you know about him? His name? Anything?" Kurt asked.

"He didn't tell us anything" Alison said.

"Dammit!" Kurt said, hitting the desk again.

"It was a white van" Alison said quickly, scared of what Kurt might do to her. "An older type."

"That's all?" Kurt asked.

"It was dark" Alison explained. "I couldn't see anything…"

Kurt pressed his lips together in anger. He couldn't believe Alison and her friends had let that man take Danny and hadn't done anything to stop him.

"Can I go now?" Alison asked quietly.

"What do you think?" Kurt asked back. She couldn't be that stupid...

"I-I helped you" Alison said. "You have to let me go. I can't go to jail, I can't…"

"Listen to me carefully, Alison" Kurt said as he leaned forward, his voice dangerously low. "If anything happens to my son, I will make sure you spend the rest of your life in a small and dirty cell, all alone. Believe me, I have the power to do that. If somebody messes with my family, they have to pay."

Alison just watched him with wide eyes. Kurt was pretty sure that she hadn't been so scared of anyone before. Not that it bothered him. Alison deserved the worst punishment possible for what she had done to Danny.

With nothing else to say, Kurt left the room, needing Blaine more than ever. He wasn't sure how long he could stay strong. He was so close to tears, he could barely keep himself together. To his surprise, Blaine wasn't alone when he found him. He was in a deep conversation with Jeff, whispering something to him Kurt couldn't hear.

"What is it?" Kurt asked as he stepped to them.

As Blaine turned to look at him, Kurt could tell that something was very wrong. Blaine was so pale, his eyes wide, seemingly scared.

"What is it?" Kurt asked again, fighting his tears.

"I know who has Danny" Blaine said quietly. "That man… I remember him now."

"Who is he?" Kurt asked immediately.

Blaine glanced at Jeff for help.

"I think we should discuss this with the others" Jeff said in the end. "They have to know about it."

Blaine nodded silently. Kurt had never seen him looking so guilty. But why was he acting like this? Kurt had a bad feeling that Blaine had done something to that man and now he was back for revenge. That was what the small voice in his head told him. But was it possible? No, Blaine wasn't like that. He knew his fiancé. Blaine was a good man, he surely couldn't be responsible for Danny's kidnapping.

But that voice in his head talked to him again. It told him horrible things that concerned Kurt, that made him doubt that he knew Blaine. He had to find out what was going on, immediately.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!

Kurt watched Blaine in complete silence. He knew that he wasn't the only one, his friends must have been just as shocked after Blaine's confession as he was. Well, most of them. Kurt was too shocked to think but it seemed like the others didn't as much time as he did.

"You kept this from us for so long…" Wes muttered.

"Yeah" Blaine said quietly.

"Well, not completely" Jeff said.

Everyone turned to him in a blink.

"You knew about this?" Nick asked.

"Of course. Blaine lived with me and mom when it happened" Jeff shrugged.

"And you didn't feel like you should tell me?" Nick asked.

"Look, it happened so long ago. I didn't think we had to worry about this guy ever again" Jeff said.

"But now we do" Kurt whispered.

Blaine turned towards him and after taking a deep breath, he reached for Kurt's hand. His fiancé pulled away form him, though, careful not to look into Blaine's eyes. Blaine sighed heavily. He knew that Kurt was hurt but it was mostly because of his worry for Danny. He would have understood if the circumstances had been different.

"Why didn't you tell us?" David asked.

"Because I felt ashamed" Blaine said, his eyes never leaving Kurt's face. "I know what a huge mistake I did but I can't change the past. I have to live with."

"The problem is, Blaine, that you are not the only one who has to live with it" Kurt spat. "This isn't fair. You should have told me about this. I should have known about this long ago…"

"I didn't think he would come back! What was I supposed to say?" Blaine asked in frustration.

"Well, let's see. That you worked for a criminal, for example. Or that he swore revenge after you helped the police catch him" Kurt replied.

"I did the right thing!" Blaine said.

"You shouldn't have gotten into it in the first place!" Kurt shouted.

"You don't understand. I needed that job. I was out of money and then he offered me that job…"

"You should have said no!" Kurt said. "I'm not an idiot, Blaine. I know hard it is when you have no money. I was there, remember? And I had a kid on the top of that. I could have chosen the easy way but I had dignity, something you clearly hadn't."

Blaine inhaled deeply. Kurt had never said such things to him, not even when he was angry with him. But this time was different. Kurt could have had everything, nothing was as important in his life as Danny. And he was taken away from Kurt, only because of Blaine. Blaine had to bring the boy back as quickly as possible because if something happened to Danny, Kurt would never forgive for him.

"What is he going to do to Danny?" Kurt asked quietly.

"I…"

"Is he still alive?" Kurt asked brokenly.

"I'm sure he is" Blaine said. "Ethan likes playing with his targets. He didn't go into all this trouble to simply kill Danny. He has other plans."

As much as he wanted to sound reassuring, Kurt didn't seem to feel any better.

"Kurt, I swear I will find Danny and bring him home…"

"You better do" Kurt said as he looked up at Blaine, his eyes full of anger and sorrow. "Because if something happens to him, I swear I will never talk to you again."

Everyone watched in silence as Kurt left the room, not missing the broken sob he let out once he was out of the room. Blaine wanted to go after him so badly but he also knew that he would just make things worse. So he sat back down, forcing his brain to work. He had to find Ethan. He was the only one who could do it, he was the only one who truly knew the man.

"What are we going to do now?" Nick asked after a while.

"We have to find him" Blaine said.

"And how do you want to do that? Do you have an idea?" Nick asked.

"I think I have" Blaine muttered. Yeah, he could do this. He knew Ethan's weakness, he knew how he made things, so he had the best chance to find him. And he already had a good idea where to start his research. He just hoped that he was right because this time he couldn't fail.

~ o ~

Danny pulled up his knees and sneaked his arms around them, desperately trying not to cry. He knew that it wouldn't change anything and he was scared of that large man. Damn, he was scared of all of them. These men seemed so scary, even that guy from earlier who had been nice to him. Danny wasn't sure if he could trust any of them. Probably not, considering that they kept him here to use him against his fathers. 

The boy inhaled deeply and focused on his injuries instead of watching the guard on the other side of the room who didn't move the slightest and always kept his eyes on him. Danny noticed the gun attached to the guy's belt and tried not to look at it. He glanced at his wrists and grimanced. Thanks to the lot of fight from earlier, both of his wrist were bruised and they hurt like hell. His face surely didn't look any better. His cheek hurt where Jay had hit him, not to mention the huge bump on his forehead, probably the cause of his constant headache. For a moment, he carelessly imagined what Kurt would do if he had seen him like this. He would probably pull him into his arms, whisper reassuring words into his ear and take care of his injuries. He would make him a good meal and then make sure Danny had a lot of rest. And most importantly, he would make sure that the boy didn't get hurt ever again.

A few deardrops escaped his eyes and ran down his cheeks. He missed Kurt so badly. He missed everyone and everything but he missed Kurt the most. Now that he was kept away from him, he finally understood how much Kurt meant for him. He had never truly realized how important the man was for him. Kurt had always been there for him, he had protected him from everything, he had made him feel better when Danny had had a bad day… But now Kurt wasn't there with him. Danny couldn't even be sure if he would see him ever again.

He heard the last words he had told Kurt in his head over and over again. He remembered the pain in his eyes and it just made him want to cry more than before. He had hurt Kurt so badly. He had told him something Kurt didn't deserve at all. That he wasn't his father. Danny wished he could take it back. He didn't want Kurt to remember him like this. He wanted to let him know how important the man was for him, how much he loved him and how sorry he was. He wanted to tell Kurt what an amazing father he was and how grateful he was that Kurt hadn't thrown him away when it would have been so much easier. God, he wanted to hug Kurt so badly.

"Hey, kid."

Danny jumped as he opened his eyes and found the man from earlier kneeling beside him. Ethan. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even see him coming.

"It's okay" Ethan said. "I brought you water. Are you thirsty?"

Oh, yes. Danny needed water so badly. And food. Although he wasn't sure if he should accept anything from his captors, he was getting weak and needed everything he got. A few hours had passed since the last time he had gotten anything and he wasn't feeling sick, so it seemed like it was safe. Not that he had a choice. He had to accept the water if he wanted to keep up his strength.

"That's it" Ethan smiled as Danny took the bottle from him and raised it to his lips. "Now stay still. I have to clean out that cut on your forehead."

Danny pressed his hand to his forehead for a second, wincing in pain. He didn't see how bad it was but it hurt like hell, so it couldn't be pretty. He pressed his back to the wall and let Ethan clean out the wound, trying to stay still. He couldn't hide his grimance, though. It wasn't comfortable at all.

"I'm almost done" Ethan said. "That's it. Now let me see your wrists."

Danny glanced at his hands. The bruises there were really bad, both of his wrists were swollen and covered with angry red scratches. Ethan cleaned out the small wounds at first and then put some cool gel on Danny's wrists. The boy sighed as the pain in his hands lessened. At least he felt a little less horrible.

"Better?" Ethan asked. Danny only nodded in response. "You don't talk too much."

"I have nothing to say" Danny said quietly.

"You want to go home" Ethan stated. Danny nodded again. "Do you miss your family?"

"Yeah" Danny whispered, looking away.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked.

"Nothing. I just…" Danny didn't want to talk to this man but he had to tell someone about this and there was no one else he could talk to. "I really hurt Kurt right before I was taken. I told him horrible things."

"Are you worried that they won't come for you because they are angry with you?" Ethan asked.

"No" Danny shook his head. "I know that they are searching for me. They won't give up until they find me. I just…"

"They love you, huh?" Ethan asked.

"I guess they do" Danny muttered.

"You are lucky" Ethan said. "They are not your parents after all. It's surely not as easy as it would be with their own kid."

Danny looked away again, inhaling deeply. Yeah, he was lucky he had Kurt and Blaine. They never made him feel like he was just an outsider. They loved him like their own child. And he had been so horrible to them...

"They don't treat me differently" Danny said.

"Then they would surely do anything to get you back" Ethan said, trying not to smile. It was hard. He imagined Blaine's worried face and it made him so happy.

"I think so" Danny said to himself. Yeah, he was sure that Kurt and Blaine would do everything in their power to get him back. He remembered what Kurt had gone through for him when Jeremy Carter had taken him. He was pretty sure that Kurt would die rather than let him get hurt.

Ethan was about to say something when the door opened and Mick stormed inside. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at his man. He had told Mick not to disturb them.

"We have to leave" Mick said.

"What?" Ethan asked in confusion.

"Anderson found us" Mick said.

"That's impossible" Ethan said as he stood up and walked to Mick.

"He is here and he brought a whole fucking army with him" Mick said. "We have to leave, immediately."

"No" Ethan said.

"Don't you hear me? I said…"

"I won't run away like a coward!" Ethan shouted.

"Do you want to go back to jail? Because I certainly don't" Mick said.

Danny watched the two of them in confusion. He had thought that Mick was in charge but Ethan didn't seem to be afraid of him like the others. He didn't talk to him like Mick was his boss. It seemed like...

"Make sure the way to the garage is safe" Ethan said. "I'm gonna go after you as soon as possible."

"What do you want to do?" Mick asked.

Danny slowly pushed himself up and backed away from them as Ethan turned to look at him. There was a strange, crazy light in his eyes that made Danny's blood run cold. The man took slow steps towards him and his smile grew wider.

"No!" Danny screamed as Ethan reached out, grabbed his arm and pulled him close. The man quickly wrapped an arm around him and slapped his other hand over the boy's mouth.

"You miss your family, right, Danny?" Ethan whispered into his ear. "It's time to see your dear Blaine."

Ethan turned them around and forced Danny to take a few steps towards the door.

"Get everything ready" Ethan told Mick as they walked to the door. "A short reunion with my friend and well be on our way home."

Danny struggled in the man's grip as Ethan led him out of the room but he wasn't strong enough to do anything. The man was just too strong, his grip like iron that didn't loosen the slightest. 

"This is gonna be so much fun" Ethan said as they stepped onto the empty corridor.

Danny closed his eyes as the man led him away from the room, scared of what would happen to him now. He hoped that Blaine was fast enough to save him this time.

~ o ~

Blaine took small, careful steps forward as he walked down the corridor with Jeff and David following him closely. He tightened his grip on his gun and forced his fearful thoughts to the back of his mind. The time wasn't right to think about his fears. He knew how dangerous Ethan and his men were and he had to stay focused. He had come prepared. He knew that Ethan had some of his guards with him, all of them trained and ready to kill if necessary. So Blaine picked his best men as well, those who were trained for the most dangerous situations. He didn't want to lose any of them and he hoped that having so many of them around was the best choice he could have made. Not that he had another option. They had to be quick and quiet to catch Ethan by surprise, so they had a better chance to free Danny. Although Blaine was worried about his men, Danny's safety was the most important for him. Whatever happened today, he would bring the boy home. He had promised Kurt and he would keep that promise, even if he didn't survive.

Blaine took a deep breath and took the few last steps up the stairs. They were close, he could tell. He knew Ethan, he liked taking risk, he surely didn't run when he found out that they were coming. Because Blaine was sure that he already knew about them. His hands started shaking at the thought. Ethan had Danny. He wasn't stupid, he surely knew how much the boy meant for Blaine. That was why he had taken him, to use him against Blaine. Blaine tried to prepare himself for facing the man but he didn't really know what he would do when it happened. 

"Blaine, are you alright?" Jeff asked in concern.

"Sure" Blaine answered.

"Blaine?"

Blaine's heart skipped a beat when he heard the small voice. Right in front of them was an open door leading to another corridor and standing on the other side of it was Danny, in the grip of someone Blaine hadn't seen for ages. Ethan. Even if he was a lot older, he looked almost like the last time Blaine had seen him. His eyes were certainly the same, full of hate, like when Blaine had seen him getting arrested and led away. He held Danny close and had a gun in his hand, pressed to the boy's temple. Blaine glanced at Ethan's hand that held the gun and gulped nervously. Ethan's hand wasn't shaking the slightest. He was ready to shoot. Shit.

"Hello, Blaine" Ethan said. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

He looked at Jeff and David who were standing behind Blaine, pointing their guns at them.

"Tell them to leave" Ethan said.

"We won't" Jeff said.

Ethan pressed the gun to Danny's head and the boy whimpered in fear.

"Leave or he will die" he said.

"Go" Blaine said. They didn't have a choice. He still had a chance to save Danny but now he had to do what Ethan told him.

"Close to door" Ethan said as David and Jeff took a few steps back, away from the door. Blaine stepped forward and closed it behind him. "Lock it."

Blaine reached for the key and locked the door, his eyes never leaving Danny and the man who held him captive. Ethan seemingly relaxed a bit when it was just the three if them.

"Let him go, Ethan" Blaine said gently. "He has nothing to do with this."

"Of course he does" Ethan said, smiling as Danny whimpered again when he moved the gun down to his neck. "Drop the gun."

"You know that I can't do that" Blaine said.

"Do you want to save your boy? Then do as I tell you" Ethan said.

Blaine bit his lower lip, considering his options. He needed his weapon, knowing how dangerous Ethan was. But he had to do what the man told him. He had Danny and Blaine was sure that he would kill the boy without trouble if Blaine didn't do as he was told.

"Alright" Blaine said. He slowly crouched down and placed his gun onto the ground, then pushed it forward, towards Ethan. The man caught the gun with his foot and kicked it behind them.

"Good decision" Ethan said. "We don't want anything to happen to Danny, right?"

Blaine looked at the boy for a moment. Danny was shaking and crying and he looked horrible. He had several injuries, especially on his face and neck, he was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He was still wearing his clothes from the night of his disappearance that were now covered on dirt and blood. Blaine pressed his lips together in anger. He knew that Ethan wanted revenge but he had no right to hurt his family.

"It's gonna be okay, Danny" Blaine said encouragingly. "I'm gonna bring you home."

"We’ll see about it" Ethan said.

"You want me" Blaine said. He took a step forward but stopped when Ethan moved the gun back to Danny's temple as a silent warning. "Please, let him go. What happened to you was all my fault. Danny is innocent, don't hurt him."

"So now you admit your mistake" Ethan shook his head. "Don't you think you are a little late with that?"

"Blaine, what's going on?" Danny asked quietly. "Who is this man and what does he want from us?"

Blaine looked at the boy again. Danny was clearly terrified and Blaine was sure that he would have collapsed without Ethan's arm around him.

"Answer him, Blaine" Ethan said.

Blaine shook his head. He didn't want to go into this game. He wanted to get Danny out of here, that was the most important. 

"No? I'm gonna do it then" Ethan said as he glanced at Danny and then looked back at Blaine. 

"Ethan, don't" Blaine said.

"Why? Are you scared that he would react like your fiancé?" Ethan asked.

"What are you talking about?" Danny cried.

"Your dear Blaine is not what he seems" Ethan spat. "He is just a fucking liar."

"I didn't have a choice" Blaine said.

"Do you know how he got the money to start his business?" Ethan continued. "He stole it from me."

"That's not true!" Blaine shouted.

"Isn't it?" Ethan asked as he looked up at Blaine for a moment. "I'm gonna tell you how it happened. I offered Blaine here a job. I knew that he needed money, so I hired him."

"No…" Danny shook his head.

"It's all true" Ethan said. "Blaine is not as innocent as he seems. He did everything I asked from him. He did all the dirty job for me. He knew from the start who I was and he didn't care."

"I didn't know" Blaine said.

"Oh, come on. Don't act like you didn't know about anything" Ethan said.

"I didn't!" Blaine said. "I thought that you wanted a bodyguard to keep you safe, because you were in danger because of your father's job…"

"But you stayed. Even when you learnt the truth" Ethan said.

"Because I was scared of you!" Blaine said.

"It didn't hold you back when the police offered you a way out" Ethan hissed.

"I didn't have a choice" Blaine said. "You hurt people. You did horrible things! I had to do something!"

"You betrayed me" Ethan said.

Danny's head was spinning. He still didn't really understand what had happened between Blaine and Ethan or at least he didn't want to believe them. He knew Blaine after all. He knew that he was a good guy who would never hurt people.

"You hurt me the worst way possible" Ethan said. "You killed my father."

"What are you talking about? I never killed anyone" Blaine said desperately.

"He died when I was arrested" Ethan explained. "He couldn't take the pain. He got sick and died just a few weeks later."

"And you think that it was my fault?" Blaine asked.

"Is it true?" Danny asked quietly. He wanted to hear Blaine. He wanted him to say that it was all just a lie.

"Danny…" Blaine didn't know what to say. He was scared that Danny would look at him after this like Kurt.

"It is" Ethan said. "He tried to hide it from you but there are things you can't keep secret forever. You know, Blaine, I've been watching you for a while. You surprised me, to be honest. I have no idea why you keep the kid on such a short lash when he is nothing like you used to be."

"Danny, you have to understand" Blaine said desperately. He could see the pain in the boy's eyes, it was just the same as Kurt had looked at him. He didn't want to lose his family. He couldn't. "I made a huge mistake when I was young and I have to live with it for the rest of my life. I couldn't let you do something like that, too. I don't want you to suffer like I do every single day. You understand that, right?"

"I do" Danny said quietly. 

Blaine smiled weakly. Not everything was lost, he could make things right, he just...

"Oh, that's so sweet" Ethan said, rolling his eyes. "I'm getting bored of you two. Let's finish this."

Blaine's eyes widened as Ethan took a step backwards, his hold on Danny tighter than before.

"No" Blaine said. He wanted to do something but he didn't dare move. He was too far away, he wouldn't be able to get to the others in time.

"You took everything away from me" Ethan said. "I want you to feel the pain I felt when you betrayed me."

"Don't!" Blaine shouted. "Please, don't hurt him. I don't care what you do to me but let him go. Please!"

Danny pressed his eyes closed, unable to watch. He was going to die. God, this man was going to kill him and Blaine wasn't able to save him...

"So you can be the hero again?" Ethan asked, shaking his head. "No, Blaine. I don't want to see you dead, not yet. I want you to lose everything, I want to destroy you completely before that happens. I want you to suffer for what you have done."

"No!" Blaine cried out desperately.

Bang!

Danny jumped at the loud sound but didn't open his eyes. He was waiting for… He had no idea what to expect. Pain, maybe? Darkness? He didn't feel any differently. Seconds passed but he didn't feel anything, so he carefully opened his eyes.

"Blaine" he whispered in fear. 

Blaine was lying on the ground and it didn't take him long to notice the blood. Ethan had shot Blaine. Blaine was injured, probably dying and there was no one else but them around. He had to get to him, he had to help him...

"Blaine!" Danny screamed as he tried to pull away from Ethan but the man held him steadily. He must have put his gun away because he had both of his arms around Danny now and as the boy realized, he was dragging him away from Blaine and towards the door on their left side. "Let me go! Blaine!"

Ethan opened the door and pushed Danny through it. The boy hit the railing and fell to his knees, groaning in pain.

"Stand up!" Ethan said and grabbed Danny's arm, then roughly pulled him up to his feet. 

"Let me go!" Danny shouted as he tried to pull away.

"Shut up!" Ethan hissed.

A second later, the gun was pressed to his head again and Danny went still immediately.

"Do as I tell you or you’ll be the next" Ethan said.

Danny nodded shakily. Although he was worried about Blaine, he wasn't stupid. He was perfectly sure that Ethan would shoot him if he fought. Ethan didn't hesitate any longer. He tightened his grip on Danny's arm and pushed him forward, towards the stairs. Danny had no choice, he had to go with him, down the stairs that led who knew where.

"Faster" Ethan ordered him.

They were halfway down the stairs when the door over them was opened again. Danny stopped immediately and looked up. He couldn't see anyone but he heard footsteps. There were people following them.

"Danny!"

The boy sighed in relief when he heard Blaine's voice. He was alive! And he was going to save him!

Bang!

Danny screamed as Ethan fired the gun he held high in his hand.

"Danny!"

"Blaine, help me!" Danny shouted.

"Move!" Ethan said and pushed the boy forward again.

Too soon, they reached the end of the stairs and another door. Ethan opened it quickly and pushed Danny forward again. The boy's eyes widened when he realized that they were in the garage and they were heading towards the car in front of them. Mick was already sitting in the car, seemingly waiting to go.

"Get in" Ethan said as he opened the back door.

Danny grabbed the door, trying to slow the man down a bit, so Blaine could get to them in time, but Ethan grabbed his arms, twisted them behind the boy's back and held them steadily with one hand while his other hand gripped Danny's hair and pushed his head down.

"No!" Danny screamed again as he was pushed inside, onto the backseat.

He pushed himself up immediately and went for the door but it was already closed behind him. He grabbed the handle and tugged it desperately but the door didn't open. Danny pressed his hands to the window and looked up just in time to see Blaine, David and Jeff ran through the door.

"Let's go!" Ethan said as he took his seat beside Mick.

"No!" Danny shouted desperately. Just a few more seconds. Blaine was almost there…

But Mick started the car and to Danny's horror, they started moving away from Blaine, way too fast for the man and his friends to catch up with them. Danny turned on the seat to look through the window behind him, watching helplessly as Blaine got farther and farther away from them.

"Blaine! Blaine!" Danny screamed.

With a sharp turn left, the man disappeared from his sight completely. Danny yelped as he lost balance and fell, his back hitting the door beside him.

"Put your seat belt on, kid" Mick told him.

Danny pushed himself away from the door and looked at the men with wide eyes. He was trapped. There was nowhere to go and there was no one to save him. He was all alone and he was so scared.

Blaine ran as fast as he could. He didn't care about the pain in his shoulder or the blood running down his shirt. Ethan had Danny and they were moving away from them. He was glad that David and Jeff had broken in the door when they had heard the shot and helped him get back to his feet. Now the three of them were running down the stairs, following Ethan and Danny. Blaine's heart stopped for a moment as they rushed through the door and he took in the sight in front of him. His eyes found the car immediately and landed on Danny, already trapped inside, seemingly unable to open the door.

"Danny!" Blaine shouted desperately as he forced his legs to move faster towards the car.

He knew it before it happened. He knew that he was too slow, that he wouldn't get to the car in time. He still didn't stop. He kept his eyes on Ethan's face, his disgusting smile, he watched him nod towards him before the car sped away from them and towards the exit.

"No! Danny!" Blaine cried out and tried the impossible, to catch up with the car before it was too late.

He kept running, his eyes never leaving Danny's face, his huge, tearful eyes. He didn't hear him but he could tell that Danny was shouting his name as the distance became bigger between them.

And then, in a horrible moment, the car disappeared from his eyes, with Danny in it.

"No!" Blaine screamed.

He tripped and fell to the ground, landing on his stomach. With a painful moan, he pushed himself up to his knees and looked up, but there was nothing to see anymore. Ethan was gone and he brought Danny with him.

"Danny…" Blaine whispered.

He had failed a few times in his life but it had never felt like this. It had never hurt so much. Because this time, he failed his own family, the people he loved the most. He had let Ethan take his son and he hadn't been strong enough to stop him.

"We will find them" Jeff said as he squeezed Blaine's uninjured shoulder. He could see that his friend was crying and he felt awful, too. This day wasn't supposed to end like this.

But Blaine didn't hear him. He buried his face into his hands and cried out, unable to bear the pain. If Ethan wanted to make him suffer, he had chosen the perfect way. Knowing that that monster had Danny was a lot more painful than any injury would have been.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Have a wonderful weekend!

Ethan turned around his seat and looked at the boy on the backseat. Danny was surprisingly quiet, he expected him to be asleep. But as he looked at the boy, he realized that Danny was still awake. He pressed his back to the door and pulled up his knees to his chest. He was staring blankly at his hands and he was still crying silently. At least he was finally silent. Ethan had thought that it would be easy with the kid but Danny had thrown such a huge tantrum that he had considered killing him or at least knocking him out to finally shut him up. The boy had been screaming and fighting against them when they had changed cars the first time and he had gotten a few more bruises when Mick had dragged him out of the car and to the new one. Not that Ethan was too concerned about his well-being. Danny knew the rules and what to expect if he fought. If he decided to act like an idiot, he had to face the consequences as well.

It looked like he finally gave up, though. Ethan didn't know if he finally accepted his fate or was just too tired to fight but at least he was quiet for now and that was exactly what the man needed. There was a long way waiting for them since they had to avoid the main roads and it was a lot easier for him when he didn't have to keep his eyes on the kid all the time. If he was lucky, Danny would pass out soon. Although he and Mick were used to not having any sleep for days, he was pretty sure that Danny wasn't as strong as them. Yeah, he could see how the boy fought against exhaustion. These few days had been hard for him and he hadn't had any sleep for a good while now. He didn't need much time to give in and then he wouldn't cause them any trouble for the rest of the way.

"Are you thirsty?" Ethan asked after a while. He remembered that he hadn't given Danny any water for hours and he had to keep that in his mind if he wanted to keep the boy alive. They should probably feed him, too. He didn't know how much the boy could take but since he already looked sick, he should take a better care of him.

Danny didn't even look at him, he only shook his head.

"I asked you a question" Ethan said.

"No" Danny said angrily.

Ethan threw back his head and laughed. He liked the kid, especially when he acted like this.

"What is so funny?" Danny asked.

"You are something, kid" Ethan said.

Danny turned away, shaking his head.

"What do you want from me?" he asked. "Why did you take me?"

"To hurt Blaine, of course. You were there, you heard everything" Ethan said.

"He will find me" Danny said.

"You are stupid if you think so" Ethan said.

"You know nothing about me" Danny said hatefully.

"Are you sure?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Oh, let's see… Yeah, this is my favourite. 'Sometimes I wonder if they still remember what being a teenager is like. I don't think they understand how hard it is for me.'"

Danny's eyes widened. He remembered these words. He had written them after all.

"How…"

"I thought that Blaine taught you how dangerous Internet can be" Ethan said. "You shouldn't believe everything you read there."

"It was you…" Danny gasped. Shit, he had shared his most secret thoughts with this man.

"It wasn't even hard. A few well-placed words and you told me everything I wanted to know" Ethan said.

Danny pressed a hand to his lips, desperately trying not to cry. How could he be so stupid? He had shared a lot of things with Ethan, believing that he was just a lonely boy like him. He had made a huge mistake. He tried to remember how much he had told the man. Had it been too much? Had he let him know about things he could use against Blaine?

"You are such a great help" Ethan continued. "I'm sure we will have a great time while you stay with us."

"You-you are crazy if you think that I will help you hurt my family!" Danny shouted.

"Are you sure?" Ethan smirked as he leaned closer to the boy and saw how scared Danny was. "Everyone can be broken. If you are clever, you will do as I tell you and you will survive."

"What are you going to do to me?" Danny asked.

"It depends on your behaviour" Ethan answered.

Danny buried his face into his hands, unable to stop crying. It was just too much for him. He had tried to be strong but he couldn't do it anymore. He wanted to go home so badly.

"Ah, Mick is back" Ethan said after a while as a black van parked beside their car. "Let's go."

He got out of the car and opened the door for Danny. The boy looked up at him with wide eyes and pushed himself away from the open door.

"Don't play with me, kid" Ethan said seriously. "Get out."

Danny took a deep breath and climbed out of the car. Mick joined them, too, and the boy gulped nervously as he looked from one man to the other. He felt so small beside these two. They were a lot taller than him, a lot stronger and they had the power to do anything they wanted to him.

"Come on, kid" Mick said when Danny didn't move. He grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him away from the car.

Ethan watched as Mick led Danny to the back of the van and pushed him inside. He didn't miss that Danny was barely able to stand on his feet. He shook his head as he watched the boy. He should have accepted the water he had offered for him earlier. Danny was stubborn but he would learn soon that he better didn't fight against them. Not if he wanted to go home.

~ o ~

"Blaine, help me!"

Blaine pressed a hand to his lips and took a deep breath. Ever since leaving the building where he had seen Danny the last time, those few words kept haunting him. He had made the biggest mistake of his life by going there unprepared. Sure, he had thought that he was ready but what had happened back there proved that he had been wrong. He had lost five of his men, other four were hospitalized, not to mention his biggest failure, that he had let Ethan take Danny away from him. Again. He tried to figure out where he had been wrong. He had played everything down in his head, over and over again, but he couldn't find out what he should have done differently. Maybe he should have stayed away and let David and Jeff deal with Ethan. Maybe then Danny would be with them again. But maybe not. Knowing Ethan, he would have been angry that Blaine was too scared to face him and he would have killed Danny there. Now they still had a chance to find them, even if it didn't make Blaine feel any better. He knew Ethan. The man was rich, he had great connections, so if he wanted to hide from Blaine, he had the best chances. Blaine was worried that he was already out of the state with Danny and Blaine had no idea where to search for them. They could be anywhere.

That was why he couldn't make himself move. Jeff had brought him to the hospital and waited with him until the doctor took care of Blaine's injury. Luckily, it looked worse than it was. His shoulder would be healed within a few weeks and he didn't want to stay in the hospital any longer, so he had convinced the doctor to let him go home. Jeff had brought him home and they had arrived about half an hour earlier but Blaine couldn't make himself to step out of the car. Because it meant facing Kurt and Blaine didn't know what to tell him. He knew that Kurt had been informed, of course, but he wanted to tell him something that gave him hope, that showed Kurt that not everything was lost. Yeah, but what could he say when he wasn't sure if he would bring Danny home safely?

"Blaine?" Jeff looked at him in worry. 

"Just give me a minute" Blaine said quietly.

"Don't blame yourself" Jeff said.

"Who else could I blame?" Blaine asked as he faced the other man. "I screwed up. I promised Kurt that I would bring Danny home but I failed. How could I walk in there and tell him that I let that monster take his son? The person who means the world to him? How would you feel if someone took your kids?"

"I would want to die" Jeff said quietly.

"See? That's how I feel. And I know that it's a lot worse for Kurt" Blaine said.

"You can't ignore him forever" Jeff said. "He needs you and you need him. You have to be strong, together. You can't give up hope, because we won't stop searching for them until we find Danny and bring him home. You are not alone in this, Blaine. You have us and we won't let you down."

"I can't ask you for this" Blaine shook his head.

"We will discuss everything tonight. But first you have to talk to Kurt. Come on" Jeff said. He got out of the car and opened the door for Blaine.

Blaine took a deep breath and got out of the car. Jeff was right, he couldn't hide from Kurt forever. He had to be strong, because Kurt needed him and he had to be there for him. He could do this…

He walked to the front door and stepped inside. There were a lot of people in there, a lot more than he remembered. Of course, his friends must have ordered some more bodyguards to keep Kurt safe. Blaine was so grateful they took care of this for him.

Blaine heard the soft cries of Kurt before he walked into the living room. His eyes landed on his fiancé, sitting on the couch in Nick's arms, and he stopped immediately, unable to forget that he caused Kurt's pain. It was all his fault.

"Kurt…"

Nick stood up when he noticed them and walked to his husband. Jeff pulled him into his arms and motioned for him to follow him. Kurt and Blaine needed privacy, they both knew that. Kurt stayed sitting on the couch and Blaine took a tentative step forward, not knowing what to expect. Kurt was surely angry with him. Hell, Kurt probably hated him right now. There was nothing he could do, though. He had to face whatever Kurt had for him.

Kurt finally stood up and slowly walked to him. Blaine took a deep breath, preparing himself for Kurt's anger. Would he yell at him? Probably. Maybe even slap him. Not that Blaine didn't deserve it.

But Kurt didn't do anything like that. He put his hand on Blaine's injured shoulder, seemingly worried about him.

"It's not as bad as it seems" Blaine said. It was a lie. His shoulder hurt like hell but Kurt didn't have to know.

Suddenly, Kurt threw his arms around Blaine and started crying again. Blaine pressed his lips together to suppress a moan of pain and pulled Kurt close. They stayed like that for a very long time, in complete silence. Blaine wanted to make Kurt feel better so badly. He wanted to tell him that everything would be fine, that he would find Danny and bring him home unhurt, but he didn't want to give Kurt false hope. He couldn't do that to the man he loved.

"I'm so sorry" Blaine said in the end. "I tried to stop him. I did, but… I'm so sorry, Kurt."

"Do you know where to find them?" Kurt asked.

Blaine sighed heavily. He had no idea where Ethan kept Danny. They could be anywhere… But he couldn't tell Kurt. It would kill him.

"He will let Danny go, right?" Kurt asked hopefully. "He wants something from us. We will give him whatever he wants and then he will release our son."

"I'm not sure it's so easy" Blaine said sadly.

"There has to be a way to get Danny back!" Kurt said desperately. "Please, Blaine, do something."

The pain in Kurt's eyes broke Blaine's heart. He had never felt so useless in his whole life. He wanted to get Danny back, he wanted it so badly, but he didn't know what to do, what Ethan wanted from him. He was scared that Ethan wouldn't let Danny go at all. The man knew very well how much pain he caused Blaine and his fiancé and he surely enjoyed his work.

Blaine pulled Kurt into his arms again and forced himself to be strong. He wasn't like this. He never gave up and he wouldn't start it now. No, Danny needed him and he would find him, even if he had to search through the whole world for him.

"We will find them" Blaine said determinedly. That was it. He knew he could do it. "I promise you, Kurt. I will bring Danny back."

Nick and Jeff watched them through the slightly open door, both of them sighing heavily. They hated seeing their friends like this. Kurt and Blaine didn't deserve the pain. They knew what it could be like when they lost their child, they had three on their own after all. Nick looked up at his husband and Jeff nodded before Nick could tell him what he wanted to do.

"I'm in" Jeff said.

"I know" Nick smiled.

"You should stay out of it, though" Jeff said in concern. "That guy is crazy. If he goes after you and the kids I…"

"Hey" Nick said gently as he pressed his index finger to Jeff's lips to silence him. "We will be fine. We know what we are dealing with this time and we are prepared. He can't hurt any of us anymore."

"I hope you are right" Jeff sighed.

"You can't expect me to stay out of this" Nick said. "Blaine and Kurt are my friend, too. I want to help them and I'm sure that the others will agree with me."

"I know" Jeff nodded. 

"Let's call Wes and David" Nick said. "We don't have any time to waste."

Nick turned to leave but Jeff grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"I love you" Jeff said. He grabbed the back of Nick's head and pulled him into a kiss.

"I love you, too" Nick whispered. 

They could do this. They were a team, the best Kurt and Blaine needed now, and they would make sure to bring Danny home safely and stop that guy for once and for all. 

~ o ~

Ethan looked down at the boy beside him. Danny had tried so hard to stay awake but his body had given up eventually. He was lying on the ground, curled up in a ball, sleeping peacefully. Well, not exactly peacefully, sometimes he moaned and buried his face into his arms but other than that, he was quiet. It surprised the man that Danny had managed to stay awake so long when he was in such a condition and only made it harder for himself by not accepting any food or water. At least he wouldn't cause them much trouble for a while, until he realized that fighting was useless and he only hurt himself with this craziness.

"The kid is quiet" Mick said from his seat in front of them.

"He's asleep" Ethan said.

"Just when we are almost there? Perfect timing" Mick snorted.

"It won't be that hard with him once he learns the rules" Ethan said.

"I hope so. He's getting annoying" Mick said.

Ethan shook his head. Mick had no patient but he was different. He had to be after all. He already knew what to do next but he had to wait before making a move. It would be more effective this way.

"So what do you want to do with him?" Mick asked.

"Keep him around for a while" Ethan muttered. He imagined Blaine's face again. He was surely home with his fiancé right now, trying to explain to Kurt why he couldn't bring their son back. Ethan wished he could be around to see it.

"Why?" Mick asked.

"I have plans for the fiancé" Ethan said. "I need his kid to keep him under control."

"That sounds interesting" Mick smiled.

"Believe me, my friend, you will love this" Ethan said.

"Kurt…" Danny muttered in his sleep and turned to his back. Ethan laughed and shook his head as he watched the boy. He had made the right decision, he knew it.

They finally arrived and Ethan sighed as they got through the familiar gates. Home, finally. He missed this place. He waited until Mick parked the car in front of the house and then shook Danny's shoulder. The boy started and quickly sat up, wincing in pain. His injuries surely hurt a lot more now than he had some rest.

"We are here" Ethan said as he opened the door and jumped out. "Get out."

Danny followed him without a word. Ethan had thought that it would be harder with him but it seemed like Danny understood how much danger he was in. He looked around in concern and slowly turned around. He watched the huge trees with wide eyes before his eyes landed on the huge building in front of him.

"This is your new home" Ethan said. "At least until I decide what to do with you."

Danny took a step away from him and looked around, seemingly searching for a way out.

"I wouldn't do that" Ethan smiled. "See? I have guards everywhere. If you try to run, they…"

Ethan looked up at the tree over them. Danny didn't even have time to find the man hidden in the tree when something landed at his feet with a soft thud. Danny jumped back immediately, looking at the small piece of metal in the grass. A bullet. God, that man almost shot him...

"I guess you get it" Ethan said.

Danny was shaking so badly that he almost collapsed. Mick stepped forward, grabbed his arm and pushed him forward.

"This way" he said.

Danny didn't have time to look around in the large house, not that he wanted to. He was still in shock from what had happened outside. Mick guided him up the stairs, following Ethan who led them to a door and opened it. Mick pushed Danny forward and the boy fell onto the ground. He hissed in pain as he pushed himself up and turned around.

"Don't do anything stupid" Ethan said before he closed the door.

"No!" Danny shouted as he pushed himself up from the ground and jumped to the door but it was already locked from the other side. He was trapped.

He sank back down onto the ground and turned around, facing his cell. It was a small room with a bed, a nightstand, a mirror and a small table with two chairs. There was an expensive looking painting over the bed but Danny didn't care. It was still just a cell. His eyes landed on the window and he quickly stood up. There were no bars on the window…

He walked to the window and opened it and was about to climb out when he remembered what had happened before. There were people watching him from outside, they would surely notice and then…

With a soft sob, Danny stepped back and closed the window. There was no way out of here, not if Ethan didn't want to let him go. He had to do as the man told him because if he didn't, he was perfectly sure that he wouldn't be allowed to return to his family ever again.

His eyes found his reflexion in the mirror next. He barely recognized himself at first. He looked awful, he had several injuries on his face and neck, he was pale and had those horrible dark circles under his eyes. The boy pulled up his shirt and grimanced as he turned around to take a look at his back. It was covered in bruises and he knew that his legs didn't look any better. He turned away from the mirror and walked to the bed. He sat down and tried to imagine that he was home in his own room, that it was his own comfortable bed and that he safe to get the rest his body needed so much. But he couldn't fool himself. He was far from home, from his loved ones, from everything that meant safety for him.

Danny burst into tears again as he fell into the bed and buried his face into the way too soft pillow. He was exhausted but there was something a lot stronger he felt in that moment. Fear. He was terrified, of those men outside of the room, of the future, of not seeing his family ever again… He missed Kurt and Blaine so badly, especially since he had been taken from Blaine the previous day. He wasn't sure if he was strong enough to survive this. He wanted to stay strong because he knew that he had to be but he wasn't sure if he could do that. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was nothing but a small child lost without his parents.

And the worst was that he had done this to himself. Kurt and Blaine had tried to keep him safe from the cruelty of the world but he hadn't listen to them. And now it was too late. He could just hope that there was a way out of here for him.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is another sad chapter. I still hope you like it.

Blaine was seriously worried about Kurt. It had started like he expected, Kurt had locked himself into Danny's room and hadn't talked to anyone for days. He had barely left the boy's room and he had been crying most of the time. Blaine had thought that things couldn't get worse but after a while, Kurt had changed and Blaine wasn't sure if he liked this new side of him. Kurt still didn't leave the house, believing that Ethan would get in touch with them and he didn't want to miss it. He didn't go to work or anywhere else anymore, he didn't talk to his family or friends. He didn't even seem to notice Blaine's presence. 

And he spent a lot of time in their traning room in the basement and that was what made Blaine so worried. Kurt barely ate, he barely had rest, he kept kicking and hitting the punching bag and when he got bored of that, he moved on to shooting. Kurt had never been like this before. He had been the most peaceful person of world who hated violence with all of his heart and never joined Blaine during his trainings if he had a choice. Now Kurt was a completely different person who seemingly shut everyone out and spent all of his time training alone.

Blaine tried to talk to him so many times. He knew that Kurt needed someone to talk to about his fears, to share his worry with someone who understood him, but no matter how hard Blaine tried, Kurt didn't open up to him. He pushed him away every time Blaine tried to talk to him or make him eat and asked him to leave him alone.

Blaine had no idea what to do. Kurt looked horrible, he had lost a lot of weight and he seemed to get closer to destroying himself with every passed day. Blaine couldn't blame him, though. Almost three weeks had passed since Danny's disappearance and Blaine still hadn't found anything about Ethan. It seemed like he disappeared completely. Blaine had a bad feeling that they would need a lot more time to find Danny and he had to do something about his fiancé's depression because Kurt had to be strong for the time when Danny came home. 

Blaine was about to make a delicious breakfast for them and force Kurt to eat something when he got the call. The call no one wanted to get ever. The police called him to let him know that they had found a body… A teenage boy, about Danny's age. Blaine almost dropped the phone as he listened to the detective. No, this couldn't be happening… It couldn't be Danny. He would have felt it, right? He would have known if something had happened to the boy.

He promised the detective to go to identify the body as soon as possible and then quickly disconnected the call. He had to talk to Kurt and tell him about this. God, what if they were right and it was Danny? It would kill Kurt for sure. 

Blaine took a deep breath and walked to the stairs. As he expected, he found Kurt down there, breathing heavily as he kicked and hit the punching bag over and over again. Blaine cleared his throat as he walked forward to get Kurt's attention.

"I'm not hungry" Kurt said, not even looking up.

"Kurt, I got a call from the police" Blaine said, his voice shaking.

Kurt turned to him immediately. Blaine didn't have to say anything to let him know that something was very wrong.

"No" Kurt whispered.

"They found a body in the river last night" Blaine said. "We have to… Look, I think I should do it. If it's Danny…"

"No" Kurt said again. "He's alive. I know."

"We have to do this" Blaine said.

"No" Kurt cried. "He can't be… No. They are wrong."

"You can stay home if you want to" Blaine said. 

"No" Kurt said in the end. "If he is… He needs me."

"Kurt…"

Kurt didn't listen to Blaine as he ran up the stairs, desperate sobs shaking his body. Blaine slowly followed him, knowing that he couldn't say anything to make Kurt feel better. The best they could do was to get over with this, to find out if it was Danny lying in the morgue or somebody else. Blaine wished more than ever that the police was wrong.

Kurt was close to collapsing or being sick, Blaine was sure. He didn't accept his help but he could barely stand on his shaky legs as they made their way down the stairs in the hospital. Blaine tried to stay strong for him but he was so scared himself. He wasn't sure if he could face the dead body of their child. It was just too much for him.

But he had to do this, for Kurt. He had failed him the last time, so he would save Kurt from seeing Danny like that. He would go in there alone and do it. He was strong enough, he had to believe that he was.

"You should stay out here" Blaine said gently.

"No" Kurt said.

"Kurt, if it's Danny…"

"I have to see him" Kurt cried.

"Just… tell me if you want to leave" Blaine said gently.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait too long. Soon a woman came for them and led them into a cold and dark room. There was somebody lying on the table in front of them, covered in a white sheet. Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand as they stepped forward. He was so scared but he knew that Kurt felt a lot worse.

"Can we please get over with it?" Kurt cried.

"Of course" the coroner said.

Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's hand as the woman lifted the sheet off of the boy's face.

"Oh, my God" Kurt said as his legs gave in and collapsed into Blaine's arms.

"Kurt, are you…"

"I have to get out of here" Kurt said.

He pushed himself away from Blaine and ran out of the room. Blaine followed him closely, right until the nearest bathroom. He just ran through the door in time to see as Kurt emptied his stomach. He quickly went to his fiancé and hugged him from behind.

"It's not him" he said gently. "You were right. It's not Danny."

"What if it’ll be him the next time?" Kurt cried.

"Don't say that. We will bring him home" Blaine said.

"When, Blaine?" Kurt asked as he turned around suddenly and pushed Blaine away. "It's been weeks! What if he is dead? What if we won't see him ever again?"

"Kurt…"

"Don't. I don't want to hear" Kurt said and pushed himself up from the ground. "I don't care what you want to say. I just want my son back."

"I know…"

"Just leave me alone, please" Kurt cried.

Blaine sighed heavily as Kurt walked out of the bathroom. It looked like Ethan got what he wanted. Blaine had never felt so horrible in his whole life.

~ o ~

"How is your shoulder?"

Blaine looked up from his computer to see Kurt standing at the door the other day. He smiled at his fiancé. Kurt finally left the basement, he was wearing his usual clothes and he looked a little bit better. It was the first time he asked about Blaine's well-being and it had to be a good sign.

"It's almost completely healed" Blaine said.

Kurt nodded and took a step towards him.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked.

"No" Kurt answered honestly. "But I keep pushing you away and it's not okay."

"It's understandable" Blaine said. He didn't feel any better either. The house was awfully quiet without Danny, he understood Kurt's pain. 

"I just…" Kurt took a deep breath. "Everyone wants me to move on. They don't understand how I feel and they don't care what I want. I don't want to move on."

"I know" Blaine said.

"I won't" Kurt said. "Not until we get him back."

Blaine stood up from his chair and walked to his fiancé. He hesitated for a moment but then pulled Kurt into his arms. To his relief, Kurt didn't push him away.

"I can't stop thinking about what that man is doing to him" Kurt said.

"Danny is a strong boy. I'm sure he's still holding on. He's waiting for us to find him and we will. I promise" Blaine said and then leaned down to kiss Kurt's forehead.

"What if we’ll be late?" Kurt asked.

"You can't give up" Blaine said. "Danny needs us. Once we bring him home, he’ll need us more than ever."

"I'm so scared" Kurt cried. "That call the other day… It scared me so much. What if it’ll be him the next time?"

"You have to believe that he is fine" Blaine said. "That's all we can do now."

Kurt sighed heavily. It wasn't that easy. He tried not to give up hope but so much time had passed and he wasn't stupid. He knew that their chances to find Danny got worse with every day.

"I think we should move out a bit" Blaine said carefully.

"I don't want to" Kurt said.

"Please, Kurt" Blaine said. "Just for a few hours. You need fresh air."

"And what do you want to do?" Kurt asked tiredly.

Blaine bit his lip nervously. He wasn't sure if Kurt would like his idea.

"We should visit Wes and Tina" he said.

"Yeah" Kurt nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Blaine watched him in worry. It was too easy to convince Kurt, he had thought that Kurt would say no again.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"We can't avoid them forever. They are our frieds after all" Kurt shrugged.

"Let's get ready, honey" Blaine said and pressed a soft kiss to Kurt's lips. "I'm gonna let them know that we are coming."

"Okay" Kurt whispered.

Kurt walked back to their bedroom and shut the door behind him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. It was so hard to stay strong. Everyone around him acted like everything was fine, as if Danny wasn't missing, as if they didn't miss him at all. That was why he avoided everyone, even Blaine. He couldn't look at them when they seemed so happy and his own heart was broken. He knew that he couldn't do this, though. Wes and Tina were their friends, so he had to be strong and finally face them.

Kurt knew that it was a bad idea the moment they stepped through their friends' front door. Although Wes tried to keep it down for Kurt's sake, he couldn't hide his smile. Kurt didn't blame him, it was the happiest time of his life after all. He forced out a small smile as they stepped into the living room and found Tina sitting on the couch with a small bundle in her arms. Kurt took a deep breath as he stepped closer, trying not to cry. 

"Hey, guys" he said quietly.

"Hey, honey" Tina said. 

"I'm sorry for not coming earlier but…"

"It's okay, Kurt" Wes said and put a hand on his shoulder before joining Tina and their baby.

Tina had given birth right after that horrible night, probably because of the stress. Luckily, their baby was healthy and now over two weeks old. Kurt felt bad for not even calling them. He was sure that the others had been there for the couple but he had stayed away in the worst moment. It wasn't what Wes and Tina deserved. They were his friends, they deserved a better friend than him. He didn't even know the baby's name. 

"Do you want to hold her?" Tina asked carefully.

"Let me" Blaine said excitedly. "How are you doing?"

"She doesn't sleep much but other than that, she's a wonderful girl" Wes said.

Blaine took the baby from Tina's hands and smiled at her. Kurt forced himself to do the same, although he was dying inside. He had a child on his own as well, someone who had been taken from him because he couldn't take care of him. And now he didn't even know if Danny was alive… He had gone through some horrible things in his life but this was far worse than any other.

"Kurt?"

Kurt looked at Blaine in confusion. He must have zoomed out because now everyone was looking at him. Yeah, he certainly missed something.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you" Kurt said.

"I asked you if you wanted to hold her" Blaine said.

Oh.

"Yes. Yes, of course" Kurt nodded.

He carefully took the baby from Blaine. He wasn't sure if he truly wanted this but he didn't want to hurt his friends. He could do it. He was an actor after all, he could play like everything was fine, at least for a little while. He finally gathered his courage to face the baby in his arms. She was clearly a beautiful girl with long, dark hair and huge eyes. It brought back too many memories, though. He remembered holding Danny like this the first time, how the boy had looked at him, way before they had lost Will and Emma in that accident...

"What's her name?" Kurt asked. He had to stop thinking about Danny, only for a few minutes…

"Emma" Tina said hesitantly. "I know I should have asked you about this but…"

"It's okay" Kurt said shakily. "It-it is a beautiful name."

They had trusted him. Will and Emma had trusted him to keep their only child safe. They had died believing that Danny was safe with Kurt and Kurt had failed so badly.

"Take her from me. Please" Kurt whispered.

"Are you alright?" Wes asked in concern as he walked to Kurt and took his daughter from his arms.

"No" Kurt said and once his arms were free, he jumped up and stepped away from the others. "I'm sorry, guys, but… I can't do this."

"Kurt!" Blaine called after him as Kurt rushed out of the room, crying. He looked back at Tina and Wes, not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry. I… We…"

"It's okay, Blaine. Go after him" Tina said gently.

Blaine nodded and without wasting another second, he ran after Kurt. He found him sitting in the car, with his face buried into his hands, crying. He got in beside him and pulled Kurt into his arms. 

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"No!" Kurt shouted. "How can you ask this from me?"

"I just…"

"My son is out there all alone! How can you forget about it?" Kurt asked.

"Kurt…"

"Why do you want me to forget about him?" Kurt asked.

"I don't want that!" Blaine shouted. "But I can't watch you destroy yourself. I can't let it happen!"

"What do you expect me to do, Blaine? Move on? Why can't you understand that I can't?" Kurt asked in frustration. "Danny is my son. I raised him, I was there when he took his first steps, I was there when he started talking, he sang his first song to me, he…"

"I know" Blaine said gently.

"Then why don't you do anything to get him back?" Kurt shouted hysterically. He knew that he shouldn't blame his fiancé because it wasn't Blaine's fault that Danny was missing but he couldn't help it. Every single day without his son seemed like torture for him and he wasn't sure how much longer he could do this.

"I'm trying, Kurt" Blaine tried to explain. "I have my best men searching for him every minute of every day. I haven't forgotten about him. I never will and I swear I won't give up, not until we get him back. He's important for me, too. I can't stop worrying about him, I can't stop thinking about what he has to go through right now and I can't stop blaming myself because I know that it's all my fault! Ethan took him because of me and I failed when I couldn't stop him from taking him away from us again. It makes me feel horrible, I know that I'm a horrible person and I'm sorry you have to go through this because of me but I can't do more. I will find him, I promised you and I always keep my promises. But Ethan is a clever man and he won't make this easier for me."

Kurt looked away, not saying anything. Blaine knew why. They both knew that Danny's disappearance was all Blaine's fault but Kurt didn't want to hurt his fiancé. So he decided not to say anything.

"Let's go home" Blaine said in the end. Something was broken between them and he wasn't sure if he could fix it, even if he brought Danny home safely.

~ o ~

After visiting Wes and Tina, Kurt slipped back into depression once again. He didn't even feel strong enough to leave the bedroom anymore. Training had made him feel a little less horrible but he didn't feel like he was strong enough for that anymore. He still kept his phone close but he knew that it was pointless. If that man wanted to call him, he would have done it way earlier. No. He wanted them to suffer and he chose the best way he could find.

Kurt waited until Blaine left the house and then forced himself to leave the bedroom. Blaine didn't sleep with him anymore, not after he realized that it made Kurt feel uncomfortable. He stayed in the guest room instead. Kurt didn't mind, he liked being alone with his pain. Blaine always wanted him to talk but he didn't feel like he wanted to.

He walked to another room on the corridor and smiled sadly as he looked at the painted figures in front of him. Danny had made them himself when they had moved in, just like everything else in his room. He had learnt a lot from Kurt and he had known very well what he wanted. Kurt opened the door and leaned against the doorframe. He had left everything untouched, knowing that Danny hated it when they touched his things. He didn't even let Blaine clean up in here. He wanted Danny to know that they didn't stop thinking about him and kept everything for him the way he liked. 

He stepped inside and sat down onto the bed, running his fingers down the pillows and sheets. Danny had left a mess like always but it didn't bother Kurt like it had before. Those small things didn't matter. Nothing mattered when he couldn't hold his child in his arms.

"I knew you would be here."

Kurt jumped up from the bed and turned towards the door when he heard the unexpected voice. He frowned as he took a step forward, not believing his eyes.

"Dad?" he asked.

"Hey, kiddo" Burt smiled sadly as he stepped inside. 

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked. His dad had wanted to come over when they had found out about Danny's disappearance but Kurt had told him not to. He had wanted to be alone and having his father and Carole around would have made everything worse.

"I wanted to see you" Burt said.

"Blaine asked you to do this, right?" Kurt asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"He didn't have to" Burt said. "I was worried about you and wanted to see if you were fine."

"I am" Kurt said.

"No, you aren't" Burt said. "We both know how you feel, Kurt."

"Nobody knows how I feel, Dad. Not you, not even Blaine" Kurt said.

"Is that why you avoid him?" Burt asked.

"I don't want to talk, Dad" Kurt sighed and sat back down onto Danny's bed.

"You have to talk to someone" Burt said gently as he joined his son. "You don't want to talk to him, I get it. You blame him. But we both know that it's not Blaine's fault. That man who took Danny, he's responsible for this alone. Nobody else."

"That's not true" Kurt said.

"Kurt…"

"You are right. I shouldn't blame Blaine and I don't. That's not why I keep pushing him away" Kurt said shakily. "I'm blaming myself."

"You did nothing wrong" Burt said.

"I did" Kurt said, fighting not to cry. "I screwed up, Dad. I was supposed to keep him safe but I failed. I let him leave the house that night. I left him all alone because of a stupid fight and when I realized that he was gone, it was already too late."

"You didn't know what would happen" Burt said.

"But I should have been more careful" Kurt said. Fighting was pointless. He gave up and let the tears fill his eyes. "I should have kept him safe. I promised Will and Emma that nothing would happen to their son. But I failed. I lost Danny and I can't be sure if I’ll get him back ever again."

"You can't give up, Kurt" Burt said as he pulled Kurt into his arms. "Danny will come home. You’ll get him back and you two can discuss everything."

"I feel like my heart was torn from my chest" Kurt cried. "It hurts so much that I feel like I'm dying. I can't stop thinking about him for a second. I'm so worried about him. I want to hold my child in my arms but I don't even know where he is. If he is still alive."

"Kurt…"

"Don't, Dad. You can't say anything to make me feel better" Kurt said. "If anything happens to him, I won't survive that."

Burt sighed heavily. Kurt was right, he couldn't say anything to make him feel better. There was only one thing that could help his son, something no one could give him. Not until that man let Danny go. He wished he could find a way to get Danny back because Kurt was slowly dying inside and it hurt to see his son in so much pain. Kurt didn't deserve this. He had gone so much in his life, he deserved to be happy and loved. And so did Danny.


	19. Chapter 19

_"Here. Eat up before it gets cold."_

 

_Danny looked down at the plate Kurt placed in front of him and sighed happily. He loved Kurt's pasta with home-made tomato sauce and a lot of cheese, just exactly how Kurt had done it for him this time. He grabbed his fork and raised it over his plate, ready to eat his meal. He was so hungry..._

 

_"You should hurry" Kurt said. "They’ll be here for you soon."_

 

_"Who?" Danny asked in confusion._

 

_Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Kurt turned towards the door._

 

_"I think it's them" he said happily._

 

_Danny frowned as the man left the kitchen and quickly pushed himself up from his chair to join Kurt in the hall. He arrived just as Kurt opened the door and Danny's heart skipped a beat when he recognize the tall, blond man._

 

_"Hello, Danny" Ethan smiled at him as he stepped forward. "It's time to go, kid."_

 

_"No" Danny said, shaking his head. No, this couldn't be happening. He was home, he was safe…_

 

_"Come on, honey" Kurt said sweetly. "Don't make them wait too long."_

 

_Ethan took a step towards him and Danny hastily jumped back, raising his hands in front of him._

 

_"Stay away from me!" he shouted._

 

_"You have to go with them, you know" Kurt said gently._

 

_No. Ethan might have done something to Kurt but Blaine must have been around, too. He surely wouldn't let Ethan take him. Danny just had to find him. He turned around and ran out of the room, opening one door after the other to find Blaine. He found him, sitting in his study, working on his computer._

 

_"Blaine!" he practically screamed as he ran to the man. "Blaine, you have to help me. He's here again and he wants to take me. Please, don't let him!"_

 

_Blaine finally tore his gaze away from the screen and sighed heavily._

 

_"I told you so many times, Danny. Don't disturb me when I work" he said._

 

_"Didn't you hear me? Ethan is here, in our home. You have to do something!" Danny said hysterically._

 

_"Ah, here you are."_

 

_Danny gasped as Mick walked into the room. Blaine still didn't move from his seat. What the hell was going on with him and Kurt?_

 

_"Come on, kid" Mick said as he stepped to Danny and grabbed his arm. "It's time to go."_

 

_"No! Let me go!" Danny screamed as he tried to break free._

 

_"You are just making this harder for yourself than necessary" Blaine said._

 

_Danny was dragged out of the room and back to the hall where Ethan and Kurt were waiting for them. Mick stopped with him but Blaine stepped forward, pulled Kurt into his arms and kissed his forehead. Danny was speechless. Why didn't they do anything?_

 

_"Let's go, guys" Ethan said. He stepped to him and grabbed Danny's free arm to help Mick drag him out of the house._

 

_"Kurt, help me!" Danny shouted. "You can't let them take me away. Please!"_

 

_"Why should I?" Kurt asked. "I'm not your father after all."_

 

_Danny's eyes widened. Sure, he had said that but Kurt couldn't be still mad at him for something that had happened a lifetime ago. He wasn't that type. He would never let anything happen to Danny._

 

_"I'm getting tired of this, kid" Ethan said. "Let's go."_

 

_"No! Kurt, please, help me!" Danny shouted as he struggled in the men's grip. "Kurt! Kurt!"_

 

"Kurt!"

 

Danny sat up in the bed, breathing heavily. He needed a whole minute to realize that it was just a nightmare. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes but it didn't work. Those horrible pictures came back haunting him, so he opened his eyes again and pulled up his knees to his chest. He was alone in the room where he had spent the previous three weeks or somewhat more. He had counted the days for a while but it had become pointless after two weeks. That was the day when he had realized that there was no hope for him. He had tried to stay strong and believe that Blaine would come for him but the days just passed by, one after the other, and nothing changed. He was still a prisoner, he spent most of his time locked up in this room with no one to talk to.

 

It wasn't like he hadn't tried to escape. Sometimes people came to his room to clean up or to bring him food. Danny had begged for them to get him out of here but none of them had listened. It had just made everything worse, because after those times, Ethan had visited him, sometimes alone, sometimes with Mick, and they had scared Danny to death. After about a week, Ethan had had a serious talk with Danny where he had offered him two options: he could live, if he gave up on his escape plans or die if he didn't. Danny believed him when the man had told him that he would kill the boy without trouble. So he had given up and just let things happen to him.

 

Staying in this house was horrible. He didn't have anyone to talk to, expect for Ethan who appeared in the worst moments, when Danny was deep in his depression, crying most of the times. When he was the most vulnerable and needed someone's comfort. Ethan used him for his own purposes, he knew. Danny wasn't a stupid boy but as much as he wanted to remain silent, talking to Ethan made him feel a little less awful. He always listened to him, he even pulled him into his arms once when Danny had been crying so hard that he couldn't stop. It wasn't okay, he knew that. He had made himself a promise not to talk to Ethan again, he had made that promise over and over again and then had failed so many times. He was so weak. Ethan had been right. Everyone could be broken and it looked like Danny broke pretty easily.

 

The sudden sharp pain in his stomach made him groan and he quickly put his arms around his torso, squeezing tightly. It wasn't the first time it happened, so he knew what to do to make it easier for himself. The pain would go away soon, he just had to go through it. He had been hungry and dizzy the first few days he had spent here. Although Ethan made sure he got something to eat, it was never enough and Danny couldn't be sure when the next meal would come. Sometimes he got food twice a day, sometimes he spent almost two without anything. At least he always had water… Not that it helped too much. He couldn't fill his empty stomach with it for long and it didn't make anything better. He was losing weight, a lot, he was constantly weak and tired, not to mention the sudden pain in his head and stomach that bothered him more and more as the days passed. Sometimes he wondered if he would die. He had no idea how long people could live without food. It had been only a few weeks for him but he already felt like he was getting close to that point. Although he didn't feel hunger anymore, the signs his body gave him told him that he was in trouble.

 

Danny sighed when the pain passed and he was able to breath again. He looked around again, noticing that his room was now filled with sunlight. It was morning again. Another day he had to spend away from home.

 

Just when he felt the familiar stinging sensation in his eyes and waited for the first teardrops to run down his cheeks, the door opened. He pushed himself up to the bedframe and pulled up his knees again as Ethan stepped into the room. Perfect timing, like always. Danny was wondering if he had a camera set up in his room. Probably yes. And he watched him all the time to know when was the best time to visit the boy.

 

"Good morning" Ethan said happily.

 

Danny looked away and inhaled deeply. He didn't want this man to be here.

 

"Nah, don't be like that" Ethan said. "I have a surprise for you."

 

"Surprise?" Danny asked quietly, afraid of what it could be.

 

"Sure" Ethan said. "Come on. We are having breakfast together today."

 

Danny considered saying no but he couldn't resist the food. He just realized how hungry he was out of sudden. He pushed himself up from the bed, and swaying on his feet, he made his way to the door.

 

"Let me help you" Ethan said gently as he put an arm around the boy. "Better, right?"

 

It was so wrong but it felt nice. Kurt had hugged him so many times at home, Danny missed that so much. He reminded himself that it wasn't Kurt but still… He couldn't make himself move away.

 

"This way" Ethan said as he guided the boy down the stairs and out of the house.

 

Danny looked up at the clear blue sky and took a deep breath. He was finally out of the house after weeks. The weather was beautiful and he couldn't make himself look away.

 

"I thought you would like to spend some time out here" Ethan said. "Come on. Let's have something to eat."

 

Danny followed him to the table set in the beautiful garden. He hadn't seen it when he had been brought here. It was so wrong. It was too beautiful for a place like this. It reminded him on his own home, the flowers Kurt had bought when they had moved in to that place the first time. Kurt had always taken care of those flowers on his own. He had said that it reminded him on his mother who had died long before Danny's birth.

 

"You okay?" Ethan asked.

 

"This place reminds me on Kurt" Danny said before he could stop himself. "We have similar roses. He says that they remind him on his mother."

 

Not anymore, Danny reminded himself. He was no longer at home and there was no guarantee that he would go home at all.

 

"I get that" Ethan said conversationally. "My mother created this place. She loved flowers."

 

"Is she dead?" Danny asked.

 

"Yeah" Ethan said. "She died when I was young."

 

"Kurt's mother died, too" Danny said. He closed his eyes and shook his head. No, he couldn't do this. This man was nothing like Kurt. He shouldn't feel bad for him because of his loss. He didn't deserve it.

 

"And yours, too" Ethan said. "I know. It must be hard."

 

"I don't remember them" Danny shrugged. "I grew up with Kurt. He's more like a parent for me."

 

"Do you miss him?" Ethan asked.

 

Danny didn't reply. They both knew that he missed Kurt so badly. And Blaine. He missed both of them. Only he missed Kurt more because he was closer to him.

 

"Eat something" Ethan said. "You must be hungry."

 

And he was. He hadn't had a chance to eat as much as he wanted to for a very long time, and now that Danny looked at the large amount of food in front of him, he felt like he could eat it all alone. He didn't know where to start. He grabbed his glass at first, drank his orange juice and then filled his plate with everything he could reach. He had been careful at first but he had learnt by now that he could trust Ethan. Well, at least with the food. He could have poisoned him but he seemingly didn't want to. He had plans for Danny, the boy knew that much. He only didn't know what kind of plans they were.

 

"Ah, I see you are hungry" Ethan smiled.

 

Danny simply ignored him. He could have pointed out that he had been starved since being brought here but he decided to keep his mouth shut. He wanted to eat and certainly didn't need to be punished for his big mouth. He just wanted a simple and peaceful day.

 

"Before you go back to your room" Ethan said when Danny finished eating. "...I think you should see this."

 

He stood up and walked to Danny. The boy watched him warily as he put a tablet down in front of him and turned it on. The boy leaned closer to the screen and gasped when he saw a picture of Kurt and Blaine as they made their way to a house, carrying shopping bags. Danny watched it in disbelief. He didn't know what to expect, how the men would act when he was still missing, but he believed that they were working on getting him back. He thought that they were looking for him.

 

"A beautiful Saturday afternoon" Ethan said. "You seem surprised."

 

Because he was. Danny watched the picture, trying to find a sign that Kurt and Blaine were upset. They seemed tired but that was all. He could even see the small smile on Blaine's face. It didn't seem right. He was still here, waiting for them. How could they forget about him?

 

"I…" Danny didn't know what to say. He just wanted to cry.

 

"You surely didn't expect them to wait for you forever" Ethan said as he put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "It's been weeks. They surely think that you are dead and they moved on."

 

"No…" Danny shook his head.

 

"No wonder" Ethan said. "It's a great opportunity for them. You were just a burden to them. Don't get me wrong, Kurt surely loved you but let's face it, you ruined the best years of his life. Now he can finally be free and live as he wants to. They are so happy together, don't you think?"

 

"I'm still here" Danny whispered.

 

"You surely didn't expect them to search for you forever" Ethan said. "Not after how you treated them. Especially Kurt. Poor man, he sacrificed his own happiness for you and what did he get in return? You really hurt him when you told him that he wasn't your father."

 

"I didn't mean to…"

 

"Of course not" Ethan smiled. "But you were right. They are not your parents after all. Look how easily they got over your disappearance. As if you never mattered. You surely knew that deep inside when you said those things."

 

He was just messing with him again. Danny pressed his hands to his ears and pulled away from the man. He hated Ethan. He was such a cruel man.

 

"I understand if you want to be alone" Ethan said. "You can return to your room."

 

Danny didn't hesitate. He jumped up from his seat and ran to the door, knowing that Ethan had a few of his men following him. He wasn't surprised when he found Mick standing at his door. He didn't care this time, he didn't even look at the man as he stepped inside. He waited until the door was closed behind him and then walked to the bed, sat down, buried his face into the pillow and started crying. He was surprised that he still had tears. He had been crying so often lately, it was a wonder that he had any tears left. He tightened his hands on the pillow and pressed his face into it. He just wanted to die. He didn't want to feel the pain anymore.

 

~ o ~

 

Kurt had enough. He was tired of people looking out for him and telling him what he should do. He knew very well what he wanted to do. He wanted to go out there and search for his son, even if it meant going through every single building of the states all alone. He was tired of waiting. It had been more than three weeks and Blaine still couldn't find Danny. It was tearing them apart. Kurt tried to be nice but he just couldn't. Blaine was so calm, too calm for a situation like this. He should have felt like Kurt. He should have felt awful for losing Danny and he should have done everything in his power to find the boy. Sometimes Kurt wondered if Blaine cared about Danny as much as he said. Kurt had thought that Blaine loved Danny like his own son but sometimes it felt like Blaine forgot about the boy easily. As if Danny didn't mean anything to him. Kurt tried to push those horrible thoughts to the back of his mind and not pay attention to them at all but it was so hard. He felt like he was all alone in this and no one understood him.

 

He shut everyone out again. Having both Blaine and his father around was too much, they didn't give him a single minute of peace, so Kurt, rather rudely, sent his father home, telling him that he would let him know if they found anything. Now he only had to keep Blaine away.

 

"Kurt, can we talk for a second?" Blaine asked hesitantly as he stepped into Danny's room, the place where Kurt usually spent his days.

 

"Sure" Kurt said quietly from where he was lying in Danny's bed, holding the boy's pillow close to his chest.

 

"I… I have to leave for a few days" Blaine said.

 

Kurt sat up immediately, waiting for Blaine to continue. Did it mean that they found something?

 

"We have a concert, you know" Blaine continued. "Puck asked me if I could go with them since the guy who took my place didn't really work as they expected and…"

 

"You want to go to work?" Kurt asked quietly. It seemed so wrong. Why would Blaine do that? Danny was still missing...

 

"We have to move on" Blaine said. "I-I don't say we’ll stop searching for them…"

 

"You gave up" Kurt said.

 

"No, I didn't" Blaine said as he stepped closer to his fiancé. "My men are still searching for him. I have plenty of people out there, trying to find them…"

 

"Your men" Kurt said, shaking his head. "But not you."

 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Blaine asked.

 

"Nothing" Kurt muttered.

 

"Kurt, we already talked about this. I'm not giving up. I’ll never do that. But we can't stay home and wait for him to return forever. We have to continue living, we have a life, a job to do, we…"

 

"Honestly, Blaine, I don't care if I’ll be fired. It doesn't matter at all" Kurt said. He had gotten a few weeks of break due to his personal issues but that break was almost over. He didn't care, though. Danny was more important. At least for him.

 

"Honey, you have to move out" Blaine said. "You are just making it harder for yourself."

 

"And what should I do?" Kurt shouted. "Go back to my life and act like Danny didn't even exist? How can you ask me to do that?"

 

"I'm not saying you…"

 

"Do me a favor, Blaine, and leave me the hell alone" Kurt said.

 

He returned to his previous place on the bed and closed his eyes. He didn't want to talk to Blaine anymore. Blaine sighed as he watched his fiancé. He had no idea what he should do. He knew that he had to stay strong for both of them since Kurt clearly couldn't do that, but it was so hard. He wanted to join Kurt in that bed and cry with him. He felt awful because he knew that he had caused Kurt's pain and Danny was going through his own hell as well, only because of him. But he couldn't give up. That was what Ethan wanted and he couldn't let that happen.

 

"Tell me if you need anything" Blaine said quietly as he left the room. He had to figure out how to find Ethan because if he didn't bring Danny home soon, he would lose his family.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter. Enjoy!  
> Warning: violence

Blaine had no idea what to do with Kurt. Things became more and more complicated between them and he just didn't know how to make everything better. Kurt didn't talk to him at all, he stayed in Danny's room almost all the time and only left when Blaine was out of the house or believed that he was asleep. He was avoiding Blaine. It hurt so much. Blaine knew that Kurt was hurt, that he thought that Blaine didn't care but he had no idea what to do or say to prove Kurt that he was wrong. He cared about his family, a lot, he was worried about Danny just as Kurt if not more, but he couldn't do anything more. He talked to his men every single day, he read the reports, tried to find new ways to trace Ethan, but it didn't work. It seemed like Ethan disappeared from the world with Danny and they had no chance to find him.

He asked his friends to help him, hoping that Kurt would listen to them. He was angry with Blaine after all, maybe a talk with the girls or the Warblers would help. They called Kurt, all of them, asking him to meet them, but Kurt said no every single time. Blaine was back to nothing again and he was getting desperate. He couldn't lose Kurt as well. He barely survived losing Danny, he couldn't do it again. 

He pressed his eyes closed, shaking his head. He couldn't give up hope. Danny was still out there, waiting for them. They would find him and bring him back home. It was just the matter of time. He had done it before, when he had lost his family the first time so many years ago. When everything had seemed hopeless, when he had watched Kurt fall apart, when he had had to face the monster who had held his family captive, who had almost killed his son. But he had saved them. He could do it again. Ethan wasn't different than any other criminal he had faced in the past. He had to fight off his fear and face him. He knew he could do it, for his family. Because he still believed that not everything was lost.

He took a deep breath, grabbed his bag from the bed and walked to Danny's door. It was open and he could see Kurt lying in the boy's bed, just like every other time he searched for him. Blaine sighed heavily. He so hated this. He hoped that his short trip and some fresh air would help him find another way to Ethan because he wasn't sure if he could do this any longer. Kurt certainly couldn't. He was so deep in depression that Blaine was worried that there was no way for him back from that point. He had to do something, fast.

"I'm leaving" Blaine said quietly. No answer. "I’ll be back in two days but if you need me, just call me. I’ll come back in no time."

Kurt didn't even make a move. Blaine sighed heavily and decided to leave since he was pretty sure that he wouldn't get any answer from Kurt. Not until he had new information about Danny. He turned around and walked down the stairs, hoping more than ever that he would get his family back soon. And then he would face Ethan on his own and make sure he paid for the pain he caused for this family.

~ o ~

It was almost evening but Danny hadn't left the bed since that morning. Just like the previous day, he stayed in bed, not even bothering to change clothes or have anything to eat, although Ethan had sent him more food than before. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered. His life was over anyway, he could just lie here and wait for death. Nobody cared about him anymore, so there was no reason to wait to be saved. Nobody would come for him. Kurt and Blaine moved on, they forgot about him, they wouldn't do anything to get him back. And Danny had nobody else. 

He couldn't believe it was happening. He had trusted both Kurt and Blaine, he had thought that he meant something for them, that they loved him… Apparently, it seemed like he had been wrong. It had only taken them a few weeks and they had returned to normal. How was it possible? They had spent the past nine years together as a family. They had always said that they loved Danny like their own child. Could they give up on him so easily because of a few stupid words?

Danny didn't really believe that. He knew Kurt. Kurt loved him and a fight wouldn't change that. Kurt had raised him after all, they were like father and son… No, he couldn't accept what Ethan had said to him. He had to believe that it was just another trick and get himself back together before it was too late. It was what the man wanted, right? To break him. He had forgotten about it because the previous few weeks had been so confusing, but he had been there the whole time. He had heard everything, so he knew exactly what Ethan to do with him and his family. He couldn't let it happen.

It didn't mean he felt any better. He sat up on his bed but didn't feel like he should do anything else. It was already late and he should probably go to sleep. If he was lucky, he would dream about his home again. Not like the last time, though. It had been horrible. But sometimes he had nice dreams where he was home with his family and everything was normal again.

Danny sighed heavily and pressed his palms to his face. He didn't want to cry again. He had cried too much already, it just made him weaker and more tired. He had to find hope again, so he could get some strength for the remaining days he spent here. Because he would get out of here. He had to believe in that.

Suddenly, the door opened and Ethan walked in so quickly that it made Danny jump. The man stopped in front of the boy, smiling at him. Danny couldn't stop shaking as he watched him.

"I might have been a little insensitive the other day" Ethan said. "You are clearly upset. I should have understood how much you miss your family."

It was another trick. Danny knew that he had to be careful.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you" Ethan continued. "This isn't about you. Or Kurt. I only want Blaine. That's why I'm offering you a way out."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. To Danny's surprise, he raised it in front of the boy.

"Call Kurt" Ethan said.

"What?" Danny asked in confusion. Something wasn't right here.

"It's not a trick" Ethan said. "Go ahead. Call him. But only Kurt."

Danny took the phone into his shaking hands and stared down at it. He had a chance to call Kurt. He could talk to him, let him know that he was still alive. God, he had so much he wanted to tell Kurt right now. But what if it was a trick? He glanced at the man beside him who smiled at him encouragingly. Danny unlocked the phone and dialed Kurt's number. He waited for Ethan to stop him before he pressed the call button but the man didn't do anything like that. So Danny pressed the phone to his ear as he waited for Kurt to pick up.

~ o ~

It was Saturday night and Kurt was all alone. Blaine had left earlier that day to join the band for their concert and he wouldn't be back until the next day. Although Kurt missed having Blaine around, the house felt so quiet and large without his family with him, he still didn't call Blaine. Maybe his fiancé was right. Maybe they had to leave the house before they could go crazy. Because Kurt felt like he was close to reaching that point. He felt so hopeless and alone and it became worse with every passed day.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He pushed himself up from Danny's bed and glanced at the screen. Unknown number. It was strange. Who called him so late?

"Kurt Hummel" he said with a heavy sigh as he answered his phone.

"Kurt?"

Kurt's heart skipped a beat. He recognized the voice immediately. Although it was weak and he could barely hear him, he knew who it was.

"Danny" Kurt choked out and pressed a shaking hand to his lips. After weeks of silence and fear, he could hear Danny's voice again. He was alive.

"Kurt" Danny cried on the other end of the line.

"Danny, where are you?" Kurt asked suddenly. He had so many questions. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine" Danny answered.

"Danny, you have to tell me everything about the place where they keep you" Kurt said. He didn't know how long this call would last, he had to find out as more as he could. "What does it look like? Do you know where it is?"

"I'm still here" Danny cried as if he didn't hear Kurt at all. "Please, don't give up on me. I'm still alive."

"I’ll find you, honey" Kurt said. "Please, Danny, try to focus on my voice. This is important."

"I-I'm so sorry" Danny said. "I have to tell you this because if I don't see you again, you… You still have to know that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, Kurt. I'm so sorry for what I told you that night."

"It's okay, honey. I'm not angry with you" Kurt said gently.

"I didn't mean to say those things" Danny said. "I wish I could take it back. I wish I could take back everything I did. You were right all along. I should have listened to you."

"Danny, it's okay" Kurt said. "Look, we’ll discuss everything once you come home but first I need to know where…"

He heard Danny's scream and Kurt felt like he was going to be sick. He had to know what was going on. He had to know that Danny was safe. Suddenly, he heard another voice. It was certainly not Danny. This voice was a lot deeper, a lot calmer. It was an adult.

"Now you know that he is fine" the man said. It had to be the man Blaine had been talking about. Ethan.

"Where is my son?" Kurt asked.

"Your son" Ethan repeated slowly. "It that the right term? I mean, we both know that you have nothing to do with him biologically…"

"Where is Danny?" Kurt asked hysterically.

"Calm down, I took care of him" Ethan said.

"You kidnapped him" Kurt said.

"But he's still alive. And you can get him back" Ethan said. "Look, Kurt. This game is getting boring for both of us. Danny is not who I want and you know that. So I have an offer for you."

"What do you want?" Kurt asked carefully.

"The question is, what are you willing to give up for him?" Ethan asked back.

"Anything" Kurt said without hesitation.

"I thought so" Ethan laughed. "In that case, I think we might come to an agreement."

Kurt closed his eyes as he listened to the other man. As much as it hurt, he didn't have a choice. He was the only one who could save Danny and he would do that, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness. Danny was his son and he was the most important.

~ o ~

Blaine was surprised when he got home the next day and found Kurt, sitting on the couch in the living room. He was happy to see him there at first but then he saw the look on Kurt's face and it changed everything. Something was wrong.

"What's going on?" Blaine asked.

"I think you should sit down" Kurt said quietly.

Blaine dropped his bag and joined Kurt on the couch. That was when he noticed that Kurt wasn't wearing his engagement ring anymore. It was lying on the coffee table in front of them.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Blaine asked.

"I… I have been thinking about the two of us for a long time" Kurt started. "Since Danny disappeared, it changed a lot of things. It opened my eyes and let me see things differently."

"What are you talking about?" Blaine asked desperately. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't lose everything…

"Blaine, these years we spent together were great but… The last few weeks showed that we are too different. This isn't going to work" Kurt said. "I think we should end it now when we still have a chance to be friends. I don't want us to completely hate each other."

"Is that how you feel about me?" Blaine asked, close to tears. "I thought… I-I thought that you didn't blame me for what happened to Danny…"

"I lied."

It felt like his heart was torn out of his chest. It hurt so much that Blaine could barely breath. Kurt reached out towards him and Blaine thought that he would pull him into his arms and say that it was just a cruel joke but Kurt pulled back his hand in the end and grabbed the ring from the table.

"This is yours" he said quietly.

"Kurt, please…"

"I already made my decision" Kurt said. "I'm sorry, Blaine, but I can't do this anymore. It's not good for any of us. We can't pretend like everything is fine when we both know that it isn't. I can't look into your eyes like before and I can't act like we are fine. Not anymore."

"So this is final?" Blaine asked.

"Yes" Kurt nodded. "I… We should discuss who stays here and who moves out. Although I would like to stay if that's okay with you. If Danny comes home…"

"Of course" Blaine whispered.

"I'm sorry it has to end like this" Kurt said quietly.

Blaine was barely able to keep himself together. He had to get out of here. He had to get away because he didn't want Kurt to see as he fell apart. He pushed himself up from the couch and grabbed his bag he left at the door and then rushed out of the house without a word. Kurt looked after him until he heard Blaine close the door. But once it was safe, he broke down himself. Lying to Blaine like this was certainly the hardest thing he had done in his life. He hated himself for doing so because he didn't want to lose Blaine at all but he didn't have a choice. It was the only way to get Danny back. He had to do it.

Kurt leaned back on the couch and grabbed his phone from his pocket as he let out loud, heartbroken sobs. It hurt so much… But it was worth it. If it meant that Ethan would let Danny go, it was worth it.

~ o ~

Danny was pulled out of his sleep once again as Ethan and Mick came into his room the next night. He was confused as he pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked at the two men. Something wasn't right here. What were they doing here?

"Get up, kid" Mick said.

Danny looked at him and then at Ethan. That was when he realized that Ethan was holding something in his hand. A syringe. Danny gasped and quickly pushed himself away from Mick before the man could reach him, horrible thoughts running down in his mind. First he had gotten real meals, than he had had a chance to talk to Kurt… It could only mean one thing. His life was over. Ethan got bored of his games and he decided to kill him.

"No" Danny shook his head as he backed away from the man.

"Don't make this hard for yourself" Mick said. "Come here."

Danny was shaking badly as Mick slowly approached him. He couldn't give up without fight, though, not after hearing Kurt's voice again. He had to fight to go home.

As Mick reached him, Danny raised his arms in front of himself, remembering what he had learnt from Blaine. He knew how to fight against these guys and if he was clever enough, he could win.

"You are an idiot" Mick said as Danny kicked him, not as hard as he wanted to, thanks to his weak condition.

As Danny surged forward again and tried to hit the man, Mick grabbed the boy's wrist and twisted his arm behind his back as he pushed Danny to the wall. Danny gasped as the grip on his arm grew impossibly tight and in the next horrible second, Mick twisted his arm again. Danny heard a soft crack and right after that, pain shot through his whole lower arm. Pain that was too much to bear. The boy threw back his head and screamed, struggling to break free, but it only made things worse.

"Let him go, Mick" Ethan said.

Danny was released in the next second and he collapsed immediately. Ethan shook his head as he walked to the boy who was seemingly close to losing consciousness, unable to bear the pain. He leaned to the wall, holding his injured arm tightly, barely able to breath. Unfortunately, Ethan had no time to wait for him to pass out.

"You had to break his arm, right?" Ethan asked as he stepped behind Danny, grabbed his hair, pulled back his head and pressed the syringe to his neck before Danny could protest. In the next moment, the boy went completely still.

"He started it" Mick shrugged, seemingly not too concerned about Danny's well-being.

"It doesn't matter anyway. He’ll be home soon and he has his daddy to worry about him" Ethan said. "Take him to the car. I’ll be there soon."

"Alright" Mick nodded. He picked up the unconscious boy from the ground and brought him to the door. Ethan shook his head again as he watched him leave. He was surprised that Danny had managed to get away from such things for so long. Mick clearly couldn't stand the kid. But at least it wouldn't be his problem after this night. Kurt was a good boy, he did exactly as he was told. It was time to give him a reward.

~ o ~

Kurt was certainly crazy for coming here all alone. Ethan had texted him where and when to meet him. It happened to be a dark and deserted area, a place where no one could see them, where usually horrible things happened… Kurt had a bad feeling that this wouldn't end well. This could be a trick, that man could take him as well, or kill both him and Danny. And no one would find until the next morning, until Ethan was long gone again. He still didn't move from his place. As much as he hated thinking about this, he had to trust Ethan. That was the only way to get Danny back.

A black van entered the alley and Kurt tensed. It had to be them. Just a few more seconds and he would see Danny again. What it would be like, he had no idea. Did he look differently? And Danny? Was he hurt? He had said that he had been fine but Kurt wanted to see it with his own eyes.

The van stopped and a tall, blond man stepped out of it, followed by another one. Kurt recognized that man from the pictures he had seen before. He gulped nervously. Both men were tall, even taller than him and seemed so strong. He had no chance against them.

"Where is my son?" Kurt asked shakily.

"Did you do as I told you?" Ethan asked.

"I did" Kurt said. "But I guess you already know that."

"I keep watching you, yes" Ethan nodded.

"Then you know exactly what happened. Now I want to see my son" Kurt said.

"Mick" Ethan said as he turned to the other man.

Kurt watched as the man nodded, walked to the side door of the van and opened it. He reached forward and Kurt heard a soft, familiar moan. His heart stopped for a moment as the man dragged Danny out of the van and pulled him up to his feet. Danny looked horrible. He was nothing like his normal self. He had lost a lot of weight, he had small bruises on his arms and his right arm was swollen and hanging by his side in an unnatural angle. He was lying limply in the man's arms but at least he seemed to be awake. Kurt started running towards him immediately, only to be caught by Ethan.

"I did as you told me!" Kurt said desperately. "Let me go to him."

"Just to make things clear before we go on our separate ways" Ethan said as he leaned close to Kurt. "I will keep an eye on you. If you try anything, if you tell anyone about our agreement or try to get help, I will come back and take your son again. Believe me, you won't have another chance. I won't let you see him ever again. Do you understand?"

"Yes" Kurt whispered.

"Let him go, Mick" Ethan said as he released Kurt and turned to his man.

Mick pushed Danny forward but Kurt was already there to catch him. He pulled Danny into his arms as he fell to his knees, still holding his son.

"Kurt" Danny cried quietly.

"It's gonna be okay, honey" Kurt said, crying with his son. "I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you again."

"Kurt" Danny said again as he tightened his uninjured arm around Kurt. Kurt could barely feel it. Danny was so weak, seemingly not able to move on his own.

Kurt glanced down at Danny's other arm and gasped. It was broken, he could tell from one glance. Those monsters had broken Danny's arm. Kurt looked up at Ethan, his eyes full of anger. He wanted to hurt that man so badly for what he did to Danny. He could barely keep himself back from doing something stupid.

"It feels awful, right?" Ethan asked. "You want to hurt me so badly but you know that you can't do anything. It must be horrible."

"Leave us alone" Kurt hissed.

"As you wish" Ethan said mockingly and bowed. "It was fun, boys."

Kurt really wanted to punch him. He knew that it would be a bad idea, so he turned back to Danny and tightened his arms around the boy. He glanced up again a few seconds later, afraid that Ethan might change his mind and kill them. It didn't happen, though. The man climbed back into his seat with the other man and they soon left the alley. Kurt kept looking after them until they disappeared from his sight and only then relaxed a bit. They were gone. And Danny was finally back, safely in his arms. Although the boy was clearly hurt and he had to take him to the hospital, things would get better from now on. Or so Kurt made himself believe. He took a deep breath and forced out a small smile as he turned back to Danny. He needed him strong and calm. Kurt couldn't let him see how he truly felt.

"It's okay, honey" he whispered. "I know it hurts but I’ll make it better. Okay?"

"Kurt" Danny muttered again. This time he didn't even open his eyes. He buried his face into Kurt's shirt and inhaled deeply.

Kurt sighed heavily as he tightened his arms around the boy. Danny was in no condition to understand his words. Maybe it was the best. He wouldn't remember this night, so it was easier for Kurt to keep his horrible secret. Even if it broke his heart.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter, I hope you like it. I know it's sad but hey, it's Klaine, things might change... With time.   
> I'm planning to write a fluffy one-shot for Christmas to make up for all the cliffhangers, drama, etc. If I survive this month, I promise I will.:)  
> Enjoy!

Kurt tried to shut out the annoying beeping sound coming from somewhere around him. He hated that sound. It brought back too many horrible memories and it made him more worried about his son. Danny was sleeping peacefully beside him. He had been through a long surgery and dozens of tests before being brought to this room and left alone with Kurt. Although the doctor had reassured Kurt that it was just the normal process, the heart monitor's annoying sound didn't give him a second of peace. He couldn't stop listening to it and it drove him crazy. Was it fast enough? What if Danny's heart was beating too slowly? What if something happened to him and Kurt couldn't call for help in time?

He sighed and tightened his grip on Danny's hand. He had to remind himself that Danny's life wasn't in danger. Well, not until he was here in the hospital. His injuries would heal with time and he would return home soon. But what would happen after that? Kurt had no idea.

He wasn't stupid enough to believe that Ethan wouldn't try to hurt them again. He couldn't trust that man, not even if he had promised Kurt to leave him and Danny alone if he broke up with Blaine. He was evil. He had broken Danny's arm, he had starved him, he had kept him captive for weeks, seemingly under horrible circumstances. Yes, Kurt was pretty sure that it wasn't over. But what could he do? 

Turning to Blaine was his first thought but he shook his head and tried to get the idea out of his head. Blaine couldn't protect them, not this time. That guy was nothing like the criminals they had dealed with before. Blaine had tried to get Danny back from him once and he had failed. Although Kurt had lied about blaming Blaine for what had happened to Danny, he was scared that it would happen again if he asked for help. No. He was all alone in this. He had to protect his son on his own. He only wasn't sure if he could do it all alone.

He reached out and stroked Danny's pale cheek. His son must have gone through hell in the past weeks. It was all their fault. It was mostly his fault. He should have protected Danny. He should have done something the moment he had seen that something was wrong. He should have kept Danny home, away from the monsters waiting for them outside of their home. Danny was too young to understand how dangerous the world could be. He should have prepared him better, then Danny would have stayed home that night and things wouldn't have spiraled out of control. 

But it was too late to change that. All he could do was being more careful from now on. He couldn't let Danny get hurt ever again. He would be strong enough to keep him safe. He would keep himself to the deal and he would get help to protect their home. Danny wouldn't be able to leave the house anytime soon anyway, he only had to get them bodyguards and never let his guard down. They would be fine. That man would leave them alone eventually, once he realized that Kurt and Danny wouldn't lead him to Blaine anymore. It would be hard for sure. Danny would hate him for destroying their family, but he would accept it sooner or later. He didn't have another choice. It was final, even if Kurt wasn't sure if he would heal from his heartbreak. Saying goodbye to Blaine was certainly the hardest thing he had done in his life but his child was the most important. He was more important than his own happiness. Kurt had failed him once but he would never do that again.

Suddenly, the door swang open and Kurt jumped in his seat as Blaine stormed inside, his eyes wide, breathing heavily. He stopped for a moment, his eyes landing on Danny's still form before turning to Kurt desperately.

"He is fine" Kurt said quietly.

"What the hell, Kurt?" Blaine said as he stepped closer, taking deep breaths to calm down a bit. "Nick said that you texted him. Why didn't you call me?"

"I didn't think you wanted to see us" Kurt said, looking away. He wasn't sure if he could look into Blaine's eyes and lie to him.

"You didn't think that I wanted to see Danny? That I was worried about him?" Blaine asked in disbelief.

"We broke up" Kurt replied.

"And you thought that I would turn away from you just because of that?" Blaine asked, shaking his head. "I thought you knew me."

Kurt sighed sadly. Blaine was right, of course. He loved Danny, the fact that they were no longer together wouldn't change that.

"Look, Blaine, it's been a really long day. Excuse me if I forgot to call you when my son was in the surgery and I was worried sick about him" Kurt said in frustration. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. They should have supported each other in such a hard time. Blaine would surely do that for him if Kurt asked him but he couldn't do that. Ethan had made it clear that he would watch them. He couldn't let him hurt his child again.

"I know" Blaine said gently. "I just… We are family."

"Not anymore" Kurt said. "I think you should leave."

"What?" Blaine shouted with wide eyes.

Danny stirred and muttered something incoherently. Kurt quickly stood up and whispered calmingly into his ear until Danny went back to sleep. Then he turned to Blaine angrily.

"He has to rest. Be quiet" he said.

Blaine shut his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. Kurt was right, he had to calm down. It didn't mean that he would do as Kurt told him. No. He cared about Danny and wouldn't let Kurt send him away so easily. He walked to the other side of the bed and sat down across Kurt, taking Danny's injured hand.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"I'm staying" Blaine said. "I don't care what you think about me. I don't care if you are angry with me, you can't keep me away from him. That's not what Danny wants. He needs me and I'm not going anywhere."

"Blaine…" Kurt sighed tiredly.

"No" Blaine said determinedly. "I'm staying."

Kurt bit his lip but said nothing. What could he say? Blaine was right. Danny would wake up soon and he would certainly need both of them. He had no idea what his son had gone through in the previous few weeks but he was probably confused and scared. He needed his family, both of them, to help him recover.

They were silent for a long time. They mostly just watched Danny, sometimes they glanced at each other. Blaine held Danny's injured hand carefully, afraid of hurting him. Kurt just tried to stay calm. It wasn't like he got back together with Blaine. They were still friends and they had a child together. Ethan surely didn't want him to do anything suspicious, so having Blaine around shouldn't cause any trouble for them. It wasn't in the deal after all. He had had to break up with Blaine but that was all. Ethan hadn't told him that he couldn't even see the man ever again.

"What did the doctors say?" Blaine asked.

"He's a little dehydrated and undernourished" Kurt started, repeating what the doctor had told him. "He was drugged but it didn't do any damage. He has to rest a lot and eat healthily but he'll be fine."

Blaine looked at Danny's injured right arm. It didn't look fine at all.

"It's broken" Kurt said. "The surgery was successful, though. It should heal completely with time."

"How?" Blaine asked quietly.

"I don't know what…"

"How did you get him back?" Blaine asked.

Kurt was prepared for the question. The police had already talked to him and he had had a lot of time to come up with the best explanation while waiting at home for Ethan's call. He had repeated it in his head so many times that he almost believed it himself.

"I heard noises coming from outside" he said. "I went to the door to see what it was when I saw Danny. He was lying on the driveway."

"Are you trying to tell me that Ethan just let him go? He didn't contact you, he didn't…"

"Maybe he just didn't need him anymore since we broke up" Kurt cut in. "He must have found out that we are no longer together and he can't get to you through Danny."

He held his breath for a long moment as Blaine watched him. Kurt started panicking. Blaine was clever, he surely knew that Kurt was lying… What would he do then? He couldn't keep Blaine away from them, he would try to protect them and then Ethan would come back and take Danny from him again...

"You might be right" Blaine said in the end. "That's what he wanted after all. He took everything away from me, so he doesn't need Danny anymore."

"That's the only explanation" Kurt said.

"Right" Blaine nodded.

It was dark outside when Blaine could finally convince Kurt to go home, have a shower and something to eat. The man hadn't left his place at Danny's bed for almost an entire day and Blaine could see how exhausted he was. Blaine was worried about him. It was torture seeing Danny like this, he didn't want Kurt to hurt himself. 

So Kurt finally left, making Blaine promise to call him immediately if Danny woke up.

Blaine walked to the other side of the bed and took Danny's uninjured hand. The boy was still asleep, although he would wake up soon if he could believe the doctor. He hoped it would happen soon. It was horrible just sitting beside him, unable to do anything. Blaine's eyes landed on Danny's face. He was so pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He had been starved, that was sure, and he must have gone through hell while being with Ethan. Blaine didn't want to think about what Danny had been through. He knew Ethan and how he handled people. It was a miracle Danny hadn't gotten more injuries.

He sighed and reached out to brush a lock of hair out of Danny's eye. He shouldn't have let this happen. He should have kept his family safe, he should have taken the threats more seriously when he had had a choice. Honestly, he had no idea how he could have let this happen. His family was the most important in his life, he had always protected them so far, how could he fail this time?

He had thought that getting Danny back would help his guilt but it didn't change anything. He wasn't closer to catching Ethan at all and he had lost everything that was important in his life. He was all alone now… Ethan had been right. Killing him would have been so easy. Blaine suffered a lot more now that he had nothing. Even if both Kurt and Danny were alive, they weren't a family anymore. Ethan had taken everything away from him and he wasn't sure if he would survive the pain.

A small voice in his head told him that it wasn't real, that he shouldn't believe Kurt. He wanted to believe that voice but he wasn't sure if it was real or he just made up things in his mind. He had tried to find out if Kurt told him the truth about how he felt but either he lied too well or… Or it was really over.

There was only one person who could help him find out the truth. Danny. Blaine knew that even if Kurt wouldn't talk to him ever again, Danny would help him with this. Once he woke up. No, once he was ready. Blaine had to remind himself that Danny's well-being was the most important now. Even if it killed him, he had to wait until the boy was ready to ask him about what had happened. But then… Then he would find Ethan and make sure he paid for all the pain he caused for Blaine's family.

Danny moaned quietly and slightly turned his head. Blaine stood up immediately and squeezed the boy's hand. He forced out a small smile when Danny opened his eyes. He had to see that he wasn't alone, even if he was confused because he was for sure, that he had his family and they wouldn't let him down this time.

"Blaine?" Danny whispered.

"Hey" Blaine said gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty" Danny said.

Oh, of course. The drugs. Blaine reached for the cup on the table they had prepared for Danny and leaned down to help the boy. Danny was too weak to sit up on his own but with Blaine's help he managed to get some water. Then he fell back onto the pillow and closer his eyes.

"Are you in pain?" Blaine asked in worry. "I should call the doctor…"

"You are here" Danny whispered.

"I am" Blaine nodded as he took his seat beside the boy again. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

Danny muttered something Blaine couldn't understand but then he went back to sleep almost immediately. Blaine sighed as he watched him. He had to make himself believe that things would get better soon. Even if it was so hard.

~ o ~

Kurt was glad that he was the only one beside Danny when he woke up the next time, his mind a lot clearer, seemingly recognizing him for the first blink. Danny smiled weakly as he looked at him, his eyes filling with relief.

"You are home, honey" Kurt said.

"What happened?" Danny asked.

Kurt took a deep breath and glanced at the door. He didn't have much time. He had to find out how much Danny remembered, although he knew very well how wrong it was. Danny had to rest. He shouldn't have been bothered with this.

"How much do you remember?" Kurt asked.

Danny closed his eyes for a second, probably trying to get his memories back. He frowned when he opened his eyes again, slightly shaking his head.

"I-I don't… I don't remember" he said.

"What's your last memory?" Kurt asked. He needed to know.

"I was in that house…" Danny whispered, turning his head away.

"No. No, honey, look at me. Try to remember. This is important" Kurt said.

Danny turned his head back to look at him, seemingly still confused.

"How did I get back?" he asked.

Kurt tried hard to hide how relieved he was. So Danny didn't remember much of that night, maybe nothing at all. It was good actually. It was easier for Kurt to keep himself to his lies if Danny didn't remember the truth.

"I'm not sure" Kurt said. "I found you in front of our house. They must have dumped you there."

Danny blinked a few times before nodding.

"Yeah. That must be it" he said.

"It's okay, honey. Just a few more days and I can bring you home" Kurt reassured him.

Danny frowned as he looked down and his eyes landed on his bandaged arm. He tried to move it but hissed as pain shot through his arm.

"Stay still, okay?" Kurt said hastily. "It's broken. You shouldn't move it at all."

"It hurts" Danny moaned.

"I know, I know" Kurt said. "I'll get the doctor, okay? Just don't move."

"How did I break my arm? I don't remember" Danny muttered.

"It's okay, honey" Kurt said reassuringly. "Stay here. I'll get you something to ease the pain."

"Okay" Danny said quietly.

Kurt walked out of the room and leaned against the wall when he was safely out of Danny's sight, sighing heavily. Damn, it was so hard to lie to the people he loved the most. They didn't deserve this. But Kurt didn't have another choice.

~ o ~

To both men's relief, Danny got better soon. He didn't sleep so much anymore and he didn't seem so disoriented anymore. It didn't mean he could leave hospital, though. There were a few more tests waiting for him since the doctors were worried about his memory loss and wanted to keep him in the hospital a little longer. It became hard with the boy. He just wanted to go home, to his loved ones, to his old life. He couldn't stop repeating this anyone came to see him.

Luckily, Kurt and Blaine managed those days without fight. Probably because Danny still didn't know about the two of them and since he thought that Kurt wanted to tell him, Blaine stayed away when Kurt was around and only came to visit when he was gone. It also meant that he barely saw Danny awake and didn't have any time to talk to him, but at least he didn't have a chance to upset him either. He had to talk to Kurt because they couldn't do this forever but it seemed like Kurt avoided it. It was hard to talk to someone when they didn't give him a chance. But Blaine Anderson was a stubborn man if he wanted to and he would find a way.

It came the 4th day when his friends visited Danny. Although they all wanted to see the boy and Kurt was afraid that it would be too much for Danny, he decided that a few of them could visit him every day, only if Danny felt ready for that. It seemed like their visits were good for the boy who finally found something to spend his days with.

Kurt was standing in front of the room, waiting for Nick to talk to Danny briefly, when Blaine found him. He was about to talk to him but Jeff was faster. Blaine hadn't even seen his friend until he stopped beside Kurt and handed him a paper cup. Blaine stepped back immediately and hid behind the wall.

"Thanks" Kurt said.

"You look awful" Jeff said.

"It's been a few hard days for us" Kurt said quietly.

"I can tell" Jeff said. "Although you made them harder for yourself than necessary."

Blaine smirked. Yeah, Jeff always said the truth, even if the time wasn't right.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kurt asked.

"I don't get it, Kurt" Jeff said. "You love Blaine. You went through everything together, he was there for you in the hardest times…"

"I don't want to discuss this with you" Kurt cut in.

"Maybe you should" Jeff said. "Look, I am your friend. I know both you and I can't not see how much you both suffer. Give him another chance. Please."

"I made a decision, Jeff. I know the reasons and Blaine understands them as well. It's over. Please, accept my choice" Kurt said.

"I can't do that" Jeff said.

"You have to because I won't change my mind" Kurt said in frustration. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go back to my son."

Blaine chose that moment to step out of his hiding. Kurt stopped for a moment when he saw him, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. He reached for the handle but Blaine stopped him before he could open the door.

"Can we talk for a second?" he asked.

"What do you want, Blaine?" Kurt asked tiredly.

"I just…" Blaine grabbed Kurt's arm and gently pulled away from the door. "Does Danny know about us?"

"Not yet" Kurt said. "I don't want to upset him."

"He needs to know, Kurt" Blaine said.

"I know. And I will tell him, once we get home" Kurt said.

"Shouldn't we tell him together?" Blaine asked.

"No. I can deal with this alone" Kurt said.

"If you want that…" Blaine sighed.

"Look, it's sweet that you still care about him, but Danny is my son. He's my responsibility" Kurt said.

"I think it's something we should deal with together" Blaine said.

"There's no we anymore, Blaine" Kurt said.

It hurt so much. Blaine hated hearing those words, they broke his heart over and over again.

"I… I wanted to ask you something else" he said hesitantly before Kurt could leave.

"Yeah?" Kurt asked as he turned back.

"I want to go back to the house tonight to grab a few things if it's okay with you" Blaine said.

"Sure" Kurt nodded.

And then, he was gone again. Blaine sighed and leaned to the wall, closing his eyes. Damn, it was so hard. Would it be better anytime soon? He wasn't sure.

"You okay?" Jeff asked quietly as he joined his friend.

"No" Blaine shook his head. "And I don't know if I'll ever be."

"You know, if you go back to the house alone, I think checking on the recordings would be a good idea" Jeff said. "Maybe you'll find something to help us catch that guy. I'm sure Kurt'll take you back if we get him out of the picture."

Jeff might have been right. Although Blaine couldn't be sure if Kurt forgave him if they caught Ethan, but the danger would be gone and maybe he had a chance to get the man he loved back.

"Good idea" he said as he reached out to put a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Anytime" Jeff smiled. "We are here for both of you."

~ o ~

A week after getting back to Kurt, Danny was finally able to leave the hospital. Although he was still weak, his arm still covered in thick bandages and he had to visit a therapist twice a week, Danny was more than ready to go home. He missed his home so badly and he couldn't wait to spend some time with his family. He had found it weird that Kurt and Blaine were never together in the same room, but he had thought that it was because they had to take care of a few things. Until the day of going home. Blaine didn't come with Kurt this time and his father seemed really sad for some reason. Danny was afraid that they had had a fight, that was why Blaine had stayed away. He hoped that it was nothing serious. He couldn't wait to be with them again, as a family.

He looked around nervously as they walked to the car. Being on the street again was overwhelming, the noises too loud, there were too many people around him… He took a step closer to Kurt, trying to hide how nervous he was.

"Is everything alright?" Kurt asked in concern.

"Yeah" Danny whispered.

"Let's go home, honey" Kurt said as he ushered the boy to the car.

They were silent on the way home. Danny felt so weird. Everything seemed so different. The sun was too bright, as were the colors. Even Kurt seemed different for some reason. Why was he feeling that way? Was something wrong with him? It had to be the long time he had spent away from his family. He hoped that this feeling would change, though. He wanted his life back.

Being home was nothing like Danny had imagined. He had thought that it would be great, after all the things he had gone through in the previous weeks, but he didn't feel happy at all as he stepped through the familiar door. He slowly walked into the living room and stopped immediately. The place he had last seen before being taken all those weeks ago. Where he had had that stupid fight with his family, where he had ruined everything...

"Are you hungry?" Kurt asked as he joined Danny, carrying his bag with the clothes they had brought back from the hospital. 

Danny's eyes landed on the bag. He had loved those clothes ones but he couldn't even look at them now. He hadn't told Kurt how he felt about them, the man was already worried about him, it would make everything worse if Danny told him that he was practically scared of those clothes. They brought back too many bad memories.

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked.

"I just want to sleep" Danny said quietly.

"Of course" Kurt nodded.

They walked upstairs and stopped in front of Danny's room. Kurt watched the boy in concern as Danny stopped and didn't make any move to open the door. Danny didn't think it was strange. He was so used to not being allowed to touch the door, he was just waiting for Kurt to open it and tell him what he should do.

"Here" Kurt said as he opened the door in the end. "I left everything untouched. I cleaned up a bit but I didn't touch your things."

"Thank you" Danny said.

"What do you want to eat for lunch?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know" Danny said.

"You should eat something light and healthy. The doctor said that it could take some time until you could eat everything again" Kurt said.

"Okay" Danny nodded.

Kurt sighed heavily. He tried so hard to make Danny happy but he hadn't seen his son smile since getting him back. It was horrible seeing him like this.

"I can make a soup" he said hesitantly.

"Okay" Danny said again.

It was pointless. Maybe he should just give Danny time to get back to his normal life. A few more days and he would be fine, Kurt hoped. He had to be.

He turned to leave the room when Danny stopped him.

"Where is Blaine?" he asked.

"Uhm… excuse me…"

"Blaine" Danny said again. "Why isn't he home? I thought I could finally see him."

Kurt took a deep breath. He couldn't keep it secret anymore. Danny had to know about them, even if he knew that it would upset the boy.

"You should sit down" he said.

"Oh, my God!" Danny gasped. "He left you!"

"What? No…"

"That's why he barely visited me in the hospital, right?" Danny asked, his breathing speeding up. "He left because of me."

"No, honey. Of course not!" Kurt said hastily. "Danny… Some things changed between me and Blaine while you were gone. We… I… My feelings changed about him."

"You broke up with him?" Danny asked with wide eyes.

"I did" Kurt said, looking away.

Danny started crying. He turned away from Kurt, so the man couldn't see him, but he could hear his quiet sobs.

"I know it's really bad for you now, but it doesn't have to change anything" Kurt said gently, trying to enlighten the mood. "You can still see him."

"What if he doesn't want to see me anymore?" Danny cried.

"He didn't avoid you because he doesn't want to see you anymore. It was because of me" Kurt explained. "I-I'm sure we can find a solution. You can spend some time at his place. Every second weekend or…"

"It's not the same" Danny cried. "God. I thought… I thought that things would be better now that I'm home… But everything is a lot worse."

Kurt didn't know what to say. Danny was in a very fragile state right now and he just did everything worse for him. The boy surely hated him… but he would understand one day. When they were safe again and Kurt could tell him the truth, that he just wanted to keep him out of harm's way.

~ o ~

It was late but Blaine Anderson was still working in his office. He had gone back to the house the previous night, he had gotten everything he needed… even a few more things, mostly photos of the three of them. He missed his family, a lot. He sighed as he looked at a photo on his desk. It was taken a few months earlier, on their last holiday, when everything had seemed so simple and beautiful. But it was all gone. And he had no idea how to get it back.

He forced himself to look away from the photo and back at the screen. As Jeff had told him, he had gotten the recordings of te security cameras around the house and he was getting through all of them. He was already so tired but he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep on the uncomfortable couch in his office. He had to find himself a place to stay, at least until he and Kurt sorted things out. It could take some time, a little more now that Danny was back, because he was more important for both of them, but he hoped that Kurt would change his mind sooner or later. They were meant to be together. He knew they were. And he would find a way to gain Kurt's trust again.

He zoomed out a bit, though, and he almost missed an important detail. Almost. He was Blaine Anderson, head of the Warblers after all, things like this didn't go unnoticed by him. He realized that it was the recording from the day when Danny had been found. It was already dark outside, so he was waiting for the time when Ethan arrived on the screen with Danny. That never happened, though. Blaine checked the day on the recording again. It was the correct date. But why wasn't he there then?

Blaine was ready to get back to an earlier point of the night, believing that he had missed the important part, when something unexpected happened. Nobody approached the house. But Kurt left it. Blaine leaned closer as he watched the man walk out of the house, look around nervously, and then walk to his car. He could tell that Kurt was scared. His hands were shaking and he could barely open the door. He got into the car and disappeared from his sight. Blaine tried to find the time he got back but it never happened.

Ethan hadn't been at the house that night.

Kurt had left.

He had probably met Ethan somewhere else.

Blaine watched the recording over and over again. He tried to find out more from Kurt's behaviour, he tried to find out what he had done that night. He was dying to know what had happened but the most important question was...

"Why did you lie to me?" Blaine whispered.

Something told him that Kurt wouldn't answer that question. He had figure out on his own what was going on.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is another chapter because I'm not sure when I will be able to update again. Maybe next week between the two upcoming conferences I'm going to attend. Enjoy!

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Uhm… It's me."

"I know, Kurt."

"Oh… Right. Of course."

"I'm listening."

"Huh?"

"Why did you call me?"

"Oh. I… I just want to ask you if you are free this weekend."

"I am."

"Are you sure? Because it's okay if you aren't…"

"I am. Why?"

"Well… Danny wants to spend the weekend with you."

"You want to spend the weekend together?"

"No! I mean… Not us. It's not a date and it doesn't mean I want to get back together with you, it's just…"

"Oh."

"Okay, it was a bad idea."

"No, wait!"

"I understand if you don't want to see him now that we broke up…"

"I want to. I really do. So you allow us to spend the weekend together? Both days?"

"He really misses you, Blaine."

"I miss him, too."

"So… Saturday?"

"I will be there."

Blaine sighed as he disconnected the call. He was really happy that Kurt allowed him to spend some time with Danny. He hadn't seen the boy since he had gotten home from the hospital, he hadn't even talked to him. But his time was finally here. 

"It was Kurt" he said as he turned back to the Warblers.

"We figured out" Jeff snorted. 

"You will spend the weekend with Danny?" Nick smiled. "That's great. I'm glad you guys can get through your disagreements."

"Well, it's not much but it's definitely a start" Blaine agreed. "I wanted to see him anyway. I have to talk to him about what happened. Danny is the only person who can help us."

Nick sighed heavily and shook his head, unable to hide his uneasy feeling about this. Blaine had just told them about the recordings he had found in the house and what he wanted to do. Nick wasn't sure if it was a good idea. He had talked to Danny, and although the boy seemed fine, as fine as he could be after such a horrible time, he was certainly more sensitive than usually. 

"You have to be very careful" he said gently. "We don't know what Ethan did to him. If you scare him…"

"God. You think that I would do that?" Blaine asked with wide eyes.

"I know you, Blaine."

"Then you understand why I have to do this" Blaine said. "Kurt is lying to me for some reason. I have to find out what's going on and only Danny can help me."

"Why don't you just ask Kurt?" Wes asked.

"I already did. And he lied" Blaine said. "But I am right about this, aren't I? You saw it, too."

"Yes, we did" David said. "I agree with you, something isn't right here. That's why we have to be very careful."

"If that guy threatened Kurt, he won't help us" Jeff said. "He did something for Ethan to get Danny back. He won't talk about it because it would be dangerous. He wouldn't risk Danny's safety."

"That's why I have to talk to Danny" Blaine said. "That's the only way."

"Are you sure you want that?" Nick asked gently.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked as he turned to him.

"I just… Look, Blaine, that guy is clearly dangerous. Do you want to risk the lives of your loved ones to go after him again?" Nick asked.

"I can't believe you are asking me this" Blaine said, shaking his head. "Ethan kidnapped my son and held him captive for weeks. God knows what he did to Danny. Are you saying that I should just let him go?"

"You have to stop seeking revenge and think reasonably" Nick said. "He took Danny once. Do you think that he would stop going after him or Kurt just because you two aren't together anymore? I don't think so."

"What do you think I should do?" Blaine asked.

"Talk to Danny but don't do anything stupid" Nick said. "If he freaks out, stop. Don't push him. It would make everything worse."

"I would never hurt him" Blaine glared at him. Did Nick honestly think that he would do that to Danny? Especially now when he knew how sensitive the boy was? He wasn't a monster…

"I know. But I also know that you want to catch the guy badly" Nick said.

"Because I do!"

"And we will help you" Wes said quickly. "We will help you find him, Blaine. But you have to be patient."

Blaine groaned in frustration. No, he wasn't patient. He wanted to find Ethan, right now, and lock him up, so he couldn't hurt his family anymore.But the others were right. He had to be very careful this time.

"Try to find out where Kurt went that night" he said quietly. "I'm gonna talk to Danny. Maybe he can tell us what happened."

"Just show him how much you love him" Nick said gently. "It might take some time but he will remember."

"Be patient" Jeff reminded him again.

As if it was so easy.

~ o ~

Kurt watched his sleeping son in worry. It was almost ten but Danny was still asleep. He knew that he should have woken him up because Blaine would be here for him soon, but he couldn't make himself move. Danny was clearly exhausted. He slept a lot, although he was often disturbed in his sleep by horrible nightmares. Kurt spent most of his nights awake, sitting beside the boy. Although Danny had gotten various medicines to easy the pain in his arm and help him sleep, they didn't really work. Kurt sitting beside him and talking gently to him helped a lot more.

He wasn't sure how long he could do this. He tried to be strong and act like everything was fine, but Danny was certainly not fine and it broke his heart. The boy was so quiet, he barely talked to him, he barely did anything at all. They usually spend their time in the boy's room, just sitting beside each other in complete silence. Danny didn't talk to the therapist either. She said that he needed some more time to be able to talk about what had happened to him, but Kurt was afraid that his son would never be the same again. The fact that he and Blaine weren't together anymore didn't help either. But what else could he do? If he told Blaine about the deal, what Ethan had forced him to do, the man would be back, he would take his son and he would never let him see Danny again. Kurt couldn't let that happen. He would do everything he could to help Danny get through this but he couldn't risk losing him again.

That was why he had agreed to let Danny spend the weekend with Blaine. He was scared of what could happen, but he had to take the risk. Danny needed Blaine. He missed him so much. Maybe some time out of the house and with the other man would help. Maybe Danny would be able to open up to them with Blaine's help. Kurt just hoped that he wouldn't remember too much. He didn't mind if Danny talked about those weeks but he shouldn't remember how he had gotten home. Blaine could never figure out what had happened that night.

"Is he still asleep?"

Kurt jumped at the sudden voice coming from behind him. He turned around sharply and stared at Blaine with wide eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I came for Danny?" Blaine offered.

"Yeah, but you should have knocked or something" Kurt said.

"You are awfully jumpy" Blaine pointed out.

"Can you blame me? I've just gotten my son back from a lunatic" Kurt said.

Blaine nodded. He understood that, of course. He took a step forward and glanced at Danny over Kurt's shoulder.

"Does he have trouble with sleeping?" he asked knowingly.

"Yeah" Kurt said. "I know I should have woken him up…"

"It's okay" Blaine said. "He needs to rest. Why don't we go downstairs and let him sleep a little more?"

"Yeah. That's a good idea" Kurt nodded.

They walked down the stairs and into the living room. They stopped in the middle of the room, watching each other quietly. There was so much to say and still… None of them wanted to start.

"Uhm… I should show you Danny's medicines" Kurt said in the end.

"Okay" Blaine nodded.

"I made a list when he has to take them" Kurt said as he grabbed the list form the coffee table. "It would be good to spend some time outside. I know he doesn't really want to be out there but he needs fresh air. And food. He's hungry all the time but it's normal."

"Of course" Blaine nodded.

"Just nothing unhealthy, okay?" Kurt said with a pointed look.

"Kurt, stop worrying. We will be fine" Blaine said.

"I know. I just…" Kurt away nervously.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Blaine asked.

"No" Kurt said quickly. A little too quickly.

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked.

"What do you want to say with this?" Kurt asked.

"I think you are hiding something from me" Blaine said before he could stop himself.

"That's… that's crazy. I…"

"Just stop it, Kurt" Blaine said as he grabbed Kurt's arms and pulled him close. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

Kurt didn't answer. He looked behind Blaine. Blaine turned his head and his eyes widened when he realized that Danny was watching them. He must have woken up to their loud voices and was now watching them with wide eyes, his uninjured hand gripping the railing, shaking. Blaine let go of Kurt immediately and took a step away from him. He didn't want to scare Danny.

"Hey, honey" Kurt said with a very bright and very fake smile on his face as he left Blaine and walked to the boy. "Are you hungry?"

Danny only nodded.

"Just give me a few minutes" Kurt said. He looked back at Blaine, silently letting him know that he better stayed calm around the boy, and then walked out of the room.

Blaine was left alone with Danny. He had so much to say, he wanted to apologise, he wanted to let Danny know how sorry he was because he couldn't protect him, he wanted to let him know that he wouldn't let that happen ever again… But he was scared. He was scared of what Danny thought about him. Before Blaine could panic, though, Danny smiled at him and ran to him. Blaine caught him and careful not to hurt his arm, he pulled the boy close. 

"You are here" Danny said quietly.

"Of course" Blaine smiled. "I wouldn't miss the chance to spend the weekend with you."

"I missed you" Danny said.

"I missed you, too" Blaine sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't be with you in the hospital but…"

"I know" Danny said as he pulled away. "Kurt told me."

"Hey, don't be sad" Blaine said. "It's not the end of the world. I'm still here, we can spend the weekends together, you can come over after school…"

"It's not the same" Danny whispered.

"I know" Blaine nodded. But there was nothing they could do. Not until Blaine figured out what Kurt was hiding from him. "Come on. Let's eat something."

They joined Kurt in the kitchen who was almost ready with the breakfast he prepared for Danny. They all sat down to the table, the adults choosing to drink a cup of coffee while Danny ate his breakfast. It was awkward. Danny glanced up from his plate to see Kurt and Blaine glancing at each other and then turning back to their drinks. None of them said a word for a very long time.

"So… Did you find a place to stay?" Kurt asked in the end.

"I rented a house" Blaine nodded. "It's not like this place but it'll make it. I was tired of sleeping in my office and Danny and I need a place to stay anyway."

"Of course" Kurt said. "What do you plan to do this weekend?"

"I don't know" Blaine answered. "Whatever Danny wants to do."

They turned to look at him again and Danny turned scarlet within a blink. He felt so uncomfortable. He had never thought he would feel like this with his family.

"Why don't you get dressed?" Kurt asked him.

Danny looked down at his clothes. He was dressed, although he wasn't wearing anything fancy, but his sweatpants and simple T-shirt felt comfortable. He didn't want to change those clothes. But it seemed like the others wanted him to wear something else...

"You can stay in those clothes if you want to" Blaine offered him when he saw how uncomfortable they made Danny feel.

"Okay" the boy said quietly.

"We can go if you are ready" Blaine said.

Danny nodded and stood up from the table. He brought his plate to the counter and on his way back to the table, he hugged Kurt. The man seemed surprised but he put his arms around the boy without hesitation. Danny had been so distant in the previous days, it was good to see him feeling better.

"Thank you" Danny said.

"For what?" Kurt frowned.

"For everything" Danny answered.

Kurt finally saw a ghost of a smile appear on his face and he felt relief wash through him. Danny was getting better. It was just the matter of time and he would be the same again.

~ o ~

Blaine's new house was nothing like Danny had imagined it. It was a simple 2-bedroom house but it wasn't what made him worried. As he stepped inside, he realized that Blaine barely had furniture, at least in the rooms. His bedroom, for example, was completely empty.

"It's… quite naturalistic" Danny said hesitantly.

"I must have forgotten about the furniture" Blaine said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Danny raised an eyebrow at that. Blaine surely didn't spend much time in this place if the lack of furniture didn't catch his attention.

"I have a bed in my room. You can have it for tonight" Blaine said hastily. "And then we could go shopping and get everything else we need, what do you think? We can buy whatever you want. This is your home, just as much as mine. I would like you to help me with the furniture."

Danny watched him with wide eyes. It was hard to admit but secretly he was afraid that Blaine would avoid him now that he and Kurt weren't together anymore. But hearing that he thought about this place as their home… it was nice. Danny almost started crying. It wasn't too surprising, he was really sensitive since he had returned home.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked.

"I just… I thought that now that you and Kurt are not together anymore…"

"Danny, I already told you. It doesn't have to change anything. We are still family" Blaine said gently.

Danny stepped to him immediately and hugged him. Knowing that Blaine still cared about him meant a lot.

"So… do you want to help me?" Blaine asked.

"Of course" Danny smiled. "You have Internet connection, right? I know a great website where we can order everything we need. You can't sleep on the ground. We have to do about it, fast."

Blaine laughed, shaking his head. He was glad that he had Danny back. He had missed him so much.

After a few phone calls and offering a whole fortune, their most needed furniture arrived within a few hours. They spent most of the afternoon making the house look like home. Well, Blaine did most of the job. Danny just stayed behind and gave him orders what to do since he couldn't do much with one hand. After that, they ordered food and went to the mall to get a few things for the kitchen. Blaine didn't want to stay long since the place made Danny uncomfortable. He was silent the whole time they spent there and kept looking behind. It must have been too much for him, so Blaine quickly grabbed the things they needed, paid for them and soon they were on their way home.

They spent some time in the garden as they waited for their dinner to arrive. It was hard to convince Danny to spend some time outside, it seemed like the open place made him nervous for some reason. Although Blaine assured him that nothing could happen to him here, Danny didn't seem to believe him.

They ate their dinner in the living room, sitting on the new couch Danny had chosen. It was a great piece, Blaine had to admit. It was large and fitted the room, and the most important, it was comfortable. A lot more than his own in his office. Danny had made a good choice with this.

When they were almost done with the food, Blaine gathered his courage to talk to Danny about his captivity. He knew that it would upset the boy but they had to talk about this. Blaine needed answers and he hoped that Danny could help him.

"Danny, we need to talk" he said.

Danny looked up from his hamburger – what Kurt didn't know didn't hurt – and waited for Blaine to continue.

"I… I want to talk to you about what happened" Blaine said.

Danny gulped nervously. He seemed already scared.

"Look, you don't have to say anything if you aren't ready…"

"I am" Danny said quietly. "What do you want to know?"

Everything, Blaine thought. There were so many questions in his head but he had to focus on the most important.

"Do you remember the night when they brought you home?" Blaine asked.

"No" Danny answered immediately.

"Just try to think about it. This is important" Blaine said.

"I don't remember anything" Danny said. "Kurt already asked me about this but I can only say the same. I don't remember coming home. My last memory is that I am in that bedroom all alone. And then nothing."

Blaine frowned. Kurt knew how Danny had gotten home. He was the only one who knew the details. Why had he asked the boy about it then?

Because he wanted to make sure Danny couldn't tell anything, a small voice in his head said. But was it possible?

"Those memories are there. We can get them back, together" Blaine said reassuringly. "Just close your eyes, okay? Listen to my voice and…"

Danny pushed his plate away and pulled up his knees. It was enough to stop Blaine. He wanted to know more so badly but he reminded himself that it would upset Danny. Maybe it would cause a panic attack. He couldn't let that happen. He had to be patient, even if it was killing him.

"I'm sorry" he said. "You don't have to talk about it if you aren't ready. It can wait."

"What if I won't be ready at all?" Danny asked as he looked at him. "What if I won't be able to remember those things?"

"The memories will back with time" Blaine explained. "Something horrible must have happened to you and your brain blocks them for now. But it won't stay like that forever. You will remember, once you feel strong enough to face those memories."

At least he hoped so. He really needed answers. If Danny couldn't help him… he had no idea what to do. It was clear that Kurt didn't want to talk and he was out of ideas.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.

Blaine was reading a report about his newest employees, enjoying the silence of his office. It was the first time since weeks that he could focus on his job. And he had to. He had a lot of work to do and although he didn't want to be here, he had nothing better to do. The Warblers still couldn't get him anything new about Kurt or the night when he had gotten Danny back. It seemed like there was nothing out of order, as if Kurt hadn't left the house at all. Blaine found it hard not to think about it, but he couldn't spend every second of his life searching for the man. No. He had to find a way to make Kurt talk to him. It would be so much easier.

But Kurt didn't want to see him and there were ten more days left before the next weekend Blaine could spend with Danny. It was so hard. Sure, the boy had been annoying sometimes but Blaine would gladly get those days back if it meant he could be with his family again. He missed both of them. His life seemed so empty now that he was all alone. He talked to Danny every single day, sometimes more than once since it looked like the boy needed him after his therapy to discuss the details with him, but it wasn't enough. Blaine wanted his old life back. This situation was killing him, he wasn't sure how long he could do this.

He took a deep breath and turned back to the papers waiting for him on his desk. He had to work. He had to focus on his work, get over with these reports and then maybe it wouldn't be too late to call Danny again. Yeah, he had to do that.

He was disturbed in his work a few minutes later as the door of his office swang open and Kurt walked in without stopping for a moment to check if Blaine had time for him.

"You had no right to do this" he said.

"Good evening, Kurt" Blaine said. "It's good to see you, too."

"He's barely out of the hospital" Kurt continued as if he didn't hear Blaine at all. "He's hurt. God knows what those people did to him and you can't even give him some time to recover before questioning him? Do you even care about him?"

"Yes, Kurt, I do" Blaine said calmly. "And I want to find that asshole who did this to him."

"He isn't ready" Kurt said, his voice a lot calmer this time. "He doesn't talk to anyone about what happened. He's just… He's not himself."

"I know" Blaine nodded. "That's why I stopped trying. Believe it or not, I only want to help him. He has to talk about it and he will, when he'll be ready. And we have to be ready for that, both of us. You can pay for the best therapist of the city, he won't open up to a stranger. He'll choose one of us."

Kurt took a deep breath and nodded. He knew that deep inside and he also knew that Blaine was right. But when Danny had told him what he and Blaine had done the previous weekend, he had freaked out. He had been scared that Blaine would make Danny remember somehow and his secret would be revealed. He couldn't let that happen.

"I'm sorry" Kurt said in the end. "I shouldn't have acted like this. I just…"

"It's hard. I know" Blaine said gently.

"It is" Kurt nodded.

"Look, if you want to talk about it…"

"I don't" Kurt said quickly.

Blaine expected him to storm out of the room just like he had arrived, but Kurt didn't move. It seemed like he wanted to say something.

"Take a seat" Blaine said.

Kurt sat down across him, still not saying anything.

"I want to help you, Kurt, but if you don't say anything…"

"I need bodyguards" Kurt blurted out. "I… I want to stay with Danny but I can't be home all the time…"

"Of course" Blaine nodded.

"I want to hire your best men" Kurt said. "The money doesn't matter. I'm willing to pay as much as you want but I need the best bodyguards you can get."

"You don't have to pay at all. Besides, I know a man for the job" Blaine smirked.

"Blaine."

"What? You seemed to be satisfied with my job once" Blaine said.

"Why do you have to make this harder for me?" Kurt asked in frustration. "You know very well that I won't agree with this. I can't. I need real employees, not my former fiancé to watch me and my kid all the time. Take it seriously."

"Fine" Blaine sighed. "Be that way. I'll get you the best bodyguards I can but I won't let you pay for them. Danny is my responsibility as well."

"I can't accept that" Kurt said.

"You don't have a choice" Blaine shrugged.

Kurt pressed his lips together, choosing not to say anything. He hated that people treated him like their puppet. He was an adult man, he could make his own decisions. 

"I'll call you once I find someone" Blaine said.

"Fine" Kurt said in the end.

Blaine watched in stunned silence as Kurt got up from his chair and left the room without saying anything else.

"You are welcome" Blaine muttered. Something was definitely wrong with Kurt, more than just the usual craziness. And he had to find out what bothered the man so much.

~ o ~

Kurt tightened his arms around his son when Danny moved closer to him. It was the last day they spent together before Kurt had to go back to work. He wasn't too excited to leave his son alone with their new bodyguards when Danny definitely needed his family, but they also needed money and Kurt had to go back to the shooting if he didn't want to lose his role. They had taken a longer break because of him but now they were running out of time and if Kurt didn't go back, they would lose a lot of money. It wouldn't affect Kurt too much, although he wouldn't have such great jobs anymore for sure, but there were people who needed their salaries a lot more and Kurt couldn't do that to them. So he had made a decision. He was going to go back to work.

It was really hard. The two days he had spent without Danny the previous weekend had been awful and now it would be a lot worse. Danny wouldn't be with someone who loved him. He would be with strangers for the biggest part of the day and Kurt was afraid that it would make him act even weirder than before. Things weren't right with Danny for sure. Although he looked a lot healthier now that he had enough rest and food, he wasn't the same. He was so quiet, he spent most of his time in his room and only talked to Kurt and Blaine. He didn't even want to see his grandparents, although Burt and Carole were dying to see him. But Danny didn't want to see any of them. Sometimes he spent some time downstairs when their friends came over but didn't really talk to any of them. Kurt had no idea what to do. He had tried to talk to him so many times but Danny remained silent. He needed Kurt's presence for sure because he stayed close to him all the time, they spent their evenings like this, sitting on Kurt's bed, hugging each other, but that was all. Danny didn't talk about what had happened to him. Or anything at all. He didn't smile, he didn't share his plans with Kurt… It was hard.

Kurt tried not to be jealous but he couldn't not be after Danny had told him what he had done with Blaine the previous weekend. It hurt so much. It seemed like Blaine was able to give Danny what he needed, he could bring him out of the depression, even if only for a little while, something Kurt couldn't for some reason. He had no idea why Danny didn't trust him. They had always been so close, Danny had told him everything, he had asked Kurt about the smallest things… And now, nothing. He had gotten his son back but it seemed like Danny was miles away.

"Kurt?" Danny pulled away to look at him.

"Yes, honey?" Kurt asked quietly as he tried his best to smile.

"I want to go back to school."

Kurt couldn't stop the gasp that escaped his lips. It was too early. Danny had just gotten back, he wasn't ready. Damn, Kurt wasn't ready to let him go anywhere and risk losing him again...

"I can't miss any more time" Danny explained. "I'm ready. I'm feeling a lot better and…"

"Don't you want to be home-schooled?" Kurt said quickly. "Just for a little while. I'm not sure going back to school is a good idea."

"I don't… I don't want to go back to that place" Danny said, looking away. "I was thinking about going back to my old school. If that's okay."

"Is that what you want?" Kurt asked.

"I want to feel normal again" Danny said. "I can't stay home forever. I don't want to. And if I have to go to school every day, it would give me a reason to leave the house."

"Danny, there's no rush. If you don't feel ready…"

"Just let me try" Danny said. "Please. I… I can't do this anymore. I want to forget. I don't want to think about that time anymore. I tried because you asked me to do that, but it's not good for me."

"It's what the therapist said…"

"She knows nothing!" Danny shouted. "She keeps repeating those stupid things but she has no idea how I feel. None of you do."

Kurt inhaled deeply. He knew what was coming. He could see it in Danny's eyes. So he tried to prepare himself for what the boy needed to say.

"I tried to get help" Danny said, his voice so quiet that Kurt could barely hear him. "I begged her not to do this. To let me go. But she didn't care."

Kurt was surprised at first that Danny talked about Alison but it made sense. It was where everything had gone wrong. The beginning of his suffering. Kurt wasn't an expert but he believed that it was a good sign. Danny had to get over his fears, starting with what hurt him the most.

"I thought she loved me" Danny shook his head. "I was so stupid. Just because she was nice to me and told me what I wanted to hear… I was an idiot."

"You are young" Kurt said. "You liked that girl, that's why she could trick you. But you aren't stupid."

"I should have listened to you" Danny said. "You knew. From the first moment, you knew that something was wrong with her."

"It's a superpower you get as a parent" Kurt smiled. "I know it hurts. The first breakup is always the worst but what she did to you was a lot worse. But it will get better with time. You'll find a nice girl who loves you and you'll be so happy with her."

"What if I won't?" Danny asked.

"Everybody has a soulmate. You just have to find yours" Kurt said.

Danny sighed and turned his head away.

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

"Blaine is your soulmate, right?" Danny asked.

It was a question Kurt couldn't answer. No, he didn't want to answer. Because he was certain that Blaine was the right man for him. But he couldn't say that, not when Danny believed that he didn't love Blaine anymore.

"I-I'm not sure" he said in the end.

Danny nodded, he seemingly accepted that answer for now. At least until he was too lost in his own misery.

"You can talk to me about it if you want to" Kurt said encourangingly. "Maybe I can help you."

"I keep thinking about the first day" Danny said. "Isn't it weird? I was gone for weeks but I can barely remember anything but the first few days."

"You aren't ready to face what happened after that" Kurt said quietly.

"It's weird" Danny said. "That's exactly what Blaine told me, too."

Kurt remained silent. What could he say? He wanted to help Danny through this and help him remember because that was the only way to get over this hard time of his life, but he also wanted to protect him from that, because it was the only way to keep him safe. He was such a horrible person.

"I think she wanted to help me" Danny continued. "I begged her to let me go, to not let that man take me. But she was scared."

He threw his arms around Kurt again and started crying. Kurt pulled him close, waiting for the boy to continue. That was all he could do in that moment.

"They left me with him" Danny said after a while. "They left me there, tied up, without giving me a chance to defend myself. I still tried. I was so scared of that man but I wanted to come home so badly and I knew that I had to try. I waited until he cut through the ropes and then kicked him. And then I ran as fast as I could."

He took a few deep breaths before he was able to continue.

"He caught me" Danny said. "He dragged me away from the door and back into that room… I fought. I tried hard to fight him off of me but he was too strong. And then he grabbed my neck and squeezed it."

Kurt was horrified by what he had heard. He knew that Danny had gone through some horrible things but Blaine had never told him the details. Maybe he didn't even know everything.

"I thought he would kill me" Danny said. "I-I couldn't breath. I was so scared… I thought that I wouldn't be able to see you again. But then he let go of my neck and pushed me onto the ground. I bumped my head. I couldn't see anything for a while. I remember that I tried to stand up but I couldn't… Everything hurt and I tried to breath but it was so hard…"

He moved closer to Kurt again and leaned his head on the man's shoulder.

"I didn't know what he wanted from me, not until he tied me up and taped my mouth shut. Then he told me that he wanted to get you… That he wanted to use me to get you and Blaine. And I could do nothing to stop him. He dragged me out of the house and to the van. Then he blindfolded me, so I couldn't see anything. But I heard him. He called Ethan and told him that he had me."

Danny looked up at Kurt, his eyes wide with fear.

"It wasn't just a good opportunity for them. They planned that" he whispered. "I don't know how but it seemed like they knew everything about us. They must have been watching us for a long time."

Kurt considered telling Danny what they had found out when they had been searching for him, but he decided not to. Danny had seen too much. He couldn't do that to him.

"I want to forget that those things ever happened" Danny said. "That's why I want to go back to school. I want to feel normal again. That they didn't take everything away from me."

Kurt pulled him into his arms again. Danny was so brave and he was proud of him. 

"Whatever you want, honey" he said. "I'll call the school tomorrow, okay? I'm sure you can go back there without trouble. Just give me a few days and I'll take care of everything."

"Thank you" Danny said. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble but I can't go back to that public school. It… It was horrible. I don't want to feel like an outsider anymore."

"That's completely understandable" Kurt said and turned around to open the drawer. He had something he wanted to give Danny back. "I think you'll need this."

He smiled as he raised the golden ring in front of Danny.

"It's dad's ring?" Danny asked with wide eyes. "But how…"

"I got it back when the police caught Alison and the two boys" Kurt explained. "They wanted to sell it but the police found them before they could get rid of it."

Danny took the ring into his shaking hand. He hadn't believed that he would be able to see it ever again. He had thought that it was lost. But now, finally, he had it again. The most important memory he had from his father.

"You'll get through this" Kurt said. "It'll take some time but I know you can do it. And I'm here for you if you want to talk. Anytime."

Danny smiled at him and put his arms around Kurt again. Kurt hugged back gladly. There was a long way on front of them but they would get over it. Together.

~ o ~

"Hey, Kurt…"

"He talked to me" Kurt said excitedly.

It was a bad idea. He knew that it was, but he was so happy that Danny finally talked to him and he had to share his happiness with the person who mattered the most after his son.

"About those days?" Blaine asked. "Did he tell you anything about…"

"He talked about Alison" Kurt said. "Well, mostly. Then he told me how Ethan got him. God, Blaine, it was awful. Did you know what happened to him?"

Blaine hesitated. It was enough for Kurt to know the truth.

"You knew about it and didn't tell me?" he asked. "Why…"

"Because you were upset" Blaine said quickly. "Yes, I saw his injuries. I know what they did to him. But you were so scared and I didn't want to make it worse."

"Don't you think it's something you should have told me?" Kurt asked. "I knew nothing. Damn, I couldn't even say anything when he told me. You should have told me, so I would have had a chance to get prepared."

"You think that it would have been easier if you had known?" Blaine asked.

"No" Kurt said after a second of hesitation.

"See? That's why I didn't tell you. Because I didn't want to cause you more pain" Blaine said.

Kurt sighed heavily. He wanted to hug Blaine so badly in that moment.

"You… We have to discuss things like this" he said in the end, the anger from before gone from his voice. "He might talk to you, too. I think we should discuss if he tells us something, so we can help him better."

"I agree" Blaine said. "So… Are you okay?"

"Me?" Kurt frowned.

"I know you" Blaine said. Kurt could practically hear him smile. "Do you want me to go over?"

Yes.

"No" Kurt said. "I… I have to go. Tomorrow's going to be a long day and…"

"Of course" Blaine said. "Thank you for calling."

"You would have done the same" Kurt said.

"True" Blaine replied. "Good night, Kurt."

"Good night, Blaine" Kurt said and then disconnected the call.

He sighed and put down his phone before falling back onto the bed. Damn, it was so hard. He missed Blaine so much, he wasn't sure how long he could stay away from him. Somewhere deep inside, he hoped that Danny would remember and tell Blaine everything, even if he knew how crazy it was and that it would be dangerous. But he wanted Blaine back. Things were so much easier when he had been here with him. And Danny needed him, too. But what could he do to get his whole family back without giving that monster a chance to hurt his child again?


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I'm back from my last conference and I'm not going anywhere for a while.:)  
> So here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.

Blaine was confused when he stepped into his office and found all of his friends waiting for him. They were oddly serious for some reason and it made him worried. Something must have happened and he was already scared of what it could be.

"What is it?" he asked straight away. He knew his friends too well, one look at them was enough to know that they had something for him. Maybe about Ethan. Yeah, it had to be it.

"We found something interesting" Nick said. "I think you should see it."

He turned his laptop towards Blaine and started the video. Blaine leaned closer because the picture wasn’t the best but he recognized the car on it immediately. It was Kurt’s.

"That’s the last recording of him" Nick said. "I checked on the next camera in that area but Kurt never showed up there.

"It was…"

"That night. Yes" Jeff nodded.

Blaine sighed heavily. So he had been right. Kurt had left, of course, he had known that much but now he had the proof that he had gone out to meet someone. Right there. Everybody could see it.

"What does that area look like?" Blaine asked.

"Nothing extraordinary" Wes shrugged. "They must have met in an alley, there are a lot of them around."

"And there are no more cameras, of course" Blaine muttered.

"Of course" Wes nodded.

"And Ethan?" Blaine asked next. "Could you find him?"

"Watch this" Nick said and pointed at the screen again.

Blaine waited for a few more minutes but nothing happened. He was about to ask Nick what he wanted with this when he saw it. It was a van, a black one. He couldn’t see the passengers but he knew who could have been it. It was them.

"You were right. They contacted Kurt somehow and they met in that area" Jeff said.

"We have to search for that car…"

"Already done" Nick said. "Look. Two days later, the day after that… I found that car in several different places of the city."

"He’s still here" Blaine whispered. Of course he was. He wasn’t stupid to believe that Ethan had left now that he had destroyed his family. It wasn’t over, not at all.

"He is" Jeff said.

"And there’s something else" Wes said quietly.

"Wes!" Jeff hissed.

"What?" Blaine asked. "What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing" Jeff said, giving Wes a pointed look.

"He has to know" Wes reasoned.

"No" Nick replied. "We agreed…"

"What’s going on?" Blaine asked. He was really worried now.

"Nick saw the same car at their house the other day" Wes said before any of the Warblers could stop him.

"What?" Blaine asked with wide eyes.

"You had no right to do this" Jeff said angrily. "I told you not to tell him."

"Are you out of your mind? This is horrible!" Blaine said. "Why didn’t want you to tell me?"

"Because you have enough to worry about and don’t need more trouble" Jeff said. "It’s fine, Blaine. We’ll deal with him if we have to."

Blaine felt like he was going to be sick. It was one thing that Ethan hurt his family, a horrible thing on its own, but the thought that he went after his friends as well… That he could hurt their families… No. Blaine couldn’t let that happen. He had to do something to stop the man before it was too late.

"You have to stop helping me" he said quietly.

"What?" Jeff asked with wide eyes. "But Blaine, you need…"

"I have to deal with him on my own" Blaine continued. "I can’t let him hurt any of you. Or your families. He already destroyed mine, I can’t let that happen to you, too."

"We won’t let you go after him alone" Jeff said confidently.

"You have to" Blaine said seriously. "Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it but you have to stop here before something horrible happens. I’ll make everything on my own. That’s what I have to do."

"Then let me help you" David said. "I don’t have a family. I have nothing to lose."

"Of course you have" Blaine smiled sadly. He was glad that David wanted to help him but he couldn’t let him get hurt. He couldn’t see any of his friends get hurt or killed because of him. He had watched once as Danny had been taken away from him and he couldn’t do anything to stop it, he couldn’t go through that again. No, he had to protect his loved ones. "I already made my decision. I’m sorry, guys, but I can’t let you get involved in this. Not anymore. I really appreciate what you did for me so far but this has to end."

He turned around and walked out of the room before any of his friends could stop him. Because they would, he knew. They would try to convince him to accept their help and Blaine would let them eventually. Because he felt so lonely already and didn’t want to go through this all alone. But he had to. He had to find that asshole and take care of him before he had a chance to hurt somebody else.

The Warblers looked after their friend for a while, long after Blaine left them. It was Jeff who turned to his friends in the end, seemingly more determined than before.

"We’re not going to let him deal with this alone" he said. He didn’t have to ask the others, he knew what they would say.

"What if he’s right?" David asked. "If that guy hurts your kids or Wes’…"

"Believe me, he won’t be able to get close to them at all" Jeff said seriously. "But we have to help Blaine. He can’t do it alone. Just look at him. He’s devastated, there’s no way in hell he could catch that guy all alone. He would just get himself killed."

"So what do we do now?" Wes asked.

"What we always do" Nick said. "Get all the information we can about him. We have to find his weakness and then we’ll get him."

"Just like in the good old days" Jeff smiled at his husband.

"Exactly" Nick nodded.

~ o ~

He wanted to believe that he was fine. He really tried. He went back to school, he acted like nothing was wrong, he even tried to spend more time outside of his room to show Kurt that he had nothing to worry about. But it was all a lie. Danny was scared of the world, of everything outside of his little room. 

And he was scared of being alone, too. It didn’t make much sense because locking himself up in his room also meant being alone but that was something that scared him more than leaving his little safe place. Maybe because his home didn’t seem safe anymore either. Even with the bodyguards Blaine had gotten for him and Kurt, he wasn’t sure if he and his family was safe from that man. Ethan was still out there and he could come back in any second. Danny wanted to make himself believe that the man was gone for good but he wasn’t stupid. He knew Ethan, at least as much as somebody could. That man was crazy and the boy was afraid that he would come back for him one day. He had a bad feeling that it was just another trick, that he was waiting for Danny to feel safe again and then he would be back and take him again.

The fear drove him crazy. He talked as much as he could to Kurt and planned to talk to Blaine as well but there were things he wasn’t sure he wanted to share with anyone, especially not with his family. It had started just a few days after coming home. He had had nightmares at first, all of them about his captivity and the man who had kept him locked up for weeks. It hadn’t felt wrong at first. He had been through a lot after all, it was natural that his mind wanted to process the happenings to get him through the trauma. But that wasn’t all. Sometimes he saw a shadow in the corner of his eyes, a shadow way too familiar, a tall, muscular form with short hair. But when he turned to look at them, the shadow disappeared. At first. 

It became worse with time. He didn’t only see it when he was alone, half asleep in his room but he started to see it everywhere he went. He saw it outside of the house, especially at night when he checked on their driveway or the garden. It was always there, just a dark figure, never moving but scaring the boy to death. And then, he finally started to attend school again… It followed him everywhere. He saw it in the classroom, it was waiting for him outside of the building, it was watching him when he walked down the corridor… He couldn’t be safe of it for a second.

And then he started to hear voices and that was the point when he realized he couldn’t tell anyone about this. He was crazy for sure. That was the only explanation why he heard the voice of his captor in his head, right? Yeah, he was certainly crazy. And he couldn’t tell anyone because Kurt would be worried about him and take him to a doctor and make him take more pills and everybody would think that he was crazy and...

"You’re not crazy" the voice said again. "I’m still here."

Danny opened his eyes for a second but closed them again when he saw it. He was there again.

"Leave me alone" he said.

"Danny?"

Too close. His face was too close. He was trapped and Ethan was there and he had no chance to get away from him.

"You can’t run away from me" Ethan said.

"Danny, are you in there?"

He was crying. He was shaking so badly that he could barely stand on his feet but he was trapped in this small place. There was nowhere to go. He was all alone.

"Please, leave me alone" he said again.

"I’m not done with you" Ethan told him. 

"Danny, open the door!"

Danny pressed his eyes closed and moved away from the man as far as he could. Not that it saved him from anything. Nobody could save him from this man.

"I’ll be back" Ethan whispered into his ear. "When you don’t expect it at all. I’ll be back and destroy everything you love."

"No."

What was that weird banging sound in the background? It seemed like somebody was talking to him. Was there somebody else? Danny couldn’t see anyone but Ethan.

"Danny!"

The man disappeared in the next second and Danny found himself all alone in the bathroom stall where he had locked himself after his third class when he had seen Ethan standing in the middle of the corridor. He blinked in confusion. He was pretty sure that the man had been here but how could he disappear when the door was locked?

Somebody knocked on the door in the next second and Danny screamed as he quickly jumped away from the door. No, this couldn’t be real. He was supposed to be safe at school...

"Danny, it’s me! You have to open the door!"

The boy finally recognized the voice and reached out with a shaky hand to open the door. He opened it slightly, to make sure it wasn’t just another cruel game his mind played with him. He sighed in relief when his eyes landed on Blaine’s worried face.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked.

Danny didn’t say anything. He threw his arms around the man and started crying again.

"Hey, it’s okay" Blaine said gently. "I’m here."

"I saw him again" Danny said before he could stop himself. 

"Who?" Blaine asked in confusion.

Danny was about to tell Blaine what had happened when he realized that they weren’t alone. Of course. He was in the school. His teacher must have told the principal that he hadn’t gone back to the classroom and they had called Blaine when they couldn’t make him leave the bathroom. Danny had no idea how much time he had spent in there but seeing how worried the others were, it must have been a lot.

"I should take you home" Blaine said when he saw how scared Danny was. He was pretty sure that the boy wouldn’t talk in front of everyone.

Danny only nodded and waited in silence as Blaine took care of everything. He didn’t really pay attention, he only knew that Blaine would take him home. Nothing else mattered. He just wanted to get out of here, to somewhere where no one could see him break down.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked again after a while.

That was the moment when Danny realized that they weren’t in the school anymore. They were sitting in Blaine’s car, heading… somewhere.

"Where are we going?" Danny asked.

"Home" Blaine said. "I mean, to me. I tried to call Kurt but I couldn’t reach him."

"He’s working" Danny said quietly.

"I’ll try to talk to him later. I think you should stay with me until he gets home" Blaine said.

"Yeah, that would be great" Danny nodded.

Blaine glanced at the boy in worry. He didn’t want to ask him about what had happened until they got home but he couldn’t hide how he felt. Danny was certainly not okay, the fact that he had locked himself into the bathroom and had flashbacks was enough to prove that.

When they finally reached their house, Blaine ushered the boy into the living room and made him a cup of tea and a sandwich. He waited until Danny ate his food and only then decided to talk to him. He didn’t want to upset the boy any more but they had to talk.

"What happened?" Blaine asked gently.

"I don’t know" Danny said. "I… Everything seemed fine. Well, for a while."

"Something made you upset. I need to know what" Blaine said. "Did somebody hurt you?"

"No" Danny smiled sadly. Everybody was nice to him at school. It wasn’t what bothered him. "I… I think I’m crazy."

"Why do you say that?" Blaine frowned.

"I keep seeing him" Danny whispered.

"Ethan?" Blaine asked.

"Yes" Danny nodded. "I had those nightmares first. I thought that it would be fine. You know, I had them back when…"

Blaine nodded. Danny never said out Jeremy’s name but he knew exactly what the boy was talking about. He had been there after all.

"This time is different, right?" he asked.

"Yes" Danny nodded. "I keep seeing him everywhere. Even when I’m awake. He’s always there and he talks to me."

"What does he say?" Blaine asked.

"I don’t want to talk about it" Danny said.

"Danny…" Blaine sighed and slightly moved closer to the boy. "It’s okay. I know you’re scared but I can help you. You have to talk about it to someone you trust. You try to remember what happened to you, that’s why you keep seeing him. It won’t go away unless you face your fears and try to get over them."

"I’m so scared" Danny whispered. "Kurt told me that we were safe but… I don’t think he’s right. I-I think he’s lying to me because he doesn’t want to scare me. But it’s not over. He’s still here."

"You saw him for real?" Blaine asked.

"I don’t… I don’t know" Danny said uncertainly. "Sometimes it seems so real but I know that I also see him when he isn’t around…"

"Danny, this is important. Do you think that he’s following you?" Blaine asked.

"I don’t know…"

"Focus. I have to know!" Blaine said again.

He made a mistake. He knew the second something changed in Danny’s behaviour. He froze for a second, his eyes widened and he slowly pushed himself away from Blaine. 

"I’m sorry" Blaine said hastily. "I didn’t want to scare you…"

Danny pushed himself up from the couch and took slow, careful steps backwards, away from Blaine, his eyes never leaving the man. Blaine followed him immediately, desperately trying to correct his mistake.

"I’m sorry" Blaine said again. He reached out towards Danny but the boy screamed and jumped away from him. 

"No! No, you can’t be here" Danny said. He was shaking so badly that he couldn’t stand on his feet any longer. He fell to his knees but it didn’t mean he stopped moving away from Blaine. He pushed himself back again, until his back hit the wall.

"Danny, it’s me" Blaine said slowly when he finally realized what was going on. 

Danny pressed his eyes closed and curled up in the corner, rocking himself back and forth, crying quietly.

"Please, leave me alone" he said. "Don’t… don’t hurt me."

"Danny, it’s me, Blaine. I’m not gonna hurt you" Blaine said gently. He crouched down and slowly moved closer to the boy, careful not to scare him. It didn’t seem like Danny noticed him at all, though. 

"Please" Danny cried. 

"Danny, you have to open your eyes" Blaine said. "He isn’t here. It’s not real."

"No!" Danny shouted. "It’s a trick. I know what you are doing but I won’t believe you again."

Blaine took a deep breath and slowly moved closer to the boy. He had to be careful. Danny seemingly didn’t know who he was, he only saw that man who kept haunting him since coming home. He didn’t want to scare him but he also couldn’t let him suffer anymore.

"Danny, look at me" he said. He reached out and gently put his hands on Danny’s shoulders. "It’s me. He isn’t here. He can’t hurt you anymore. I’m here and I won’t let it happen."

Danny finally opened his eyes and blinked in confusion. He seemingly didn’t know where he was for a long moment but then his eyes became clear again and the fear seemed to lessen.

"Blaine?" he whispered.

"It’s me" Blaine said again. "It’s okay. You are safe."

Danny pushed himself up from the ground and threw his arms around Blaine, sobbing loudly.

"It’s okay" Blaine said again as he rubbed the boy’s back. "It’s okay."

"They broke my arm" Danny cried.

"I know" Blaine said.

"I was so scared" Danny continued. "After they let me talk to Kurt… They came to me in the middle of the night. I saw the needle and I thought… I thought I was going to die. I fought, I-I tried to run but Mick twisted my arm behind my back and then I felt pain… There was so much pain."

Blaine tried to say something, he really wanted to help Danny calm down but he couldn’t when there were so many thoughts running down in his mind. It was the first time Danny talk about this, so it had to mean that he remembered something new. Something from his last days with Ethan. And something really important. He had talked to Kurt. Ethan must have let him call him, to let Kurt know that Danny was still alive and… Blaine still didn’t know what exactly had happened, but the more he found out, the more worried he was. Ethan hadn’t let Danny go because he was done with him and Kurt. He had asked for something in return, something he had gotten from Kurt… Blaine only didn’t know what it was.

"I’m so tired" Danny said quietly. He wasn’t crying anymore, he went completely still in Blaine’s arms.

"Do you want to sleep a little?" Blaine offered.

"Yes" Danny said.

It was difficult to stand up while keeping his arms around Danny but the boy seemingly wasn’t in any condition to help him. So Blaine pushed himself up from the ground and helped Danny stand up as well. He kept an arm around the boy’s waist as they walked into Danny’s room and then helped the boy lie down. Danny closed his eyes immediately and sighed in relief.

Blaine waited for a while at his bed but it seemed like Danny fell asleep, so he decided to let him rest and use that time to figure out what to do next. He was so frustrated. He knew a lot now but still not enough to do anything. Not until Kurt told him everything or… No. He couldn’t do this to Danny, even if it seemed the easier. The boy was already hurt and he would just make things worse if he forced him to talk when he was clearly not ready.

Blaine walked back into his study and was about to call Nick when he remembered that he couldn’t. He had decided to leave his friends out of this, before something horrible happened to their families. Ethan was Blaine’s problem and only his. He had let the man destroy his own family but he wouldn’t let that happen to any of his friends. He was all alone… again. And he felt so angry.

He quickly closed the door behind him, locked it and grabbed the first thing he could get from his desk, a folder full of reports he had read the previous night. He threw it against the wall and watched as the papers fell onto the ground.

"You asshole!" he shouted, hoping that Danny didn’t hear him. 

He hoped that it was enough to control his emotions but it turned out soon that he wasn’t finished at all. He grabbed one thing after the other from his desk and threw them onto the ground, then went to the bookshelf and did the same with his books. He didn’t stop until there was nothing but a photo left on his desk. He grabbed it, too, raised it into the air but stopped when his eyes landed on the happy faces of his family. He loved this photo, he didn’t want to destroy it.

Raising the photo in front of his eyes, Blaine slid down onto the ground beside the mess he had made, leaning his back against the wall. He wondered how things could get so wrong so fast. He had had everything he had ever wanted and then Ethan came back and took everything from him again. He had ruined his relationship with Kurt, he had broken Danny, and Blaine wasn’t sure if he could fix things, even if he stopped the man.

But he had to… He was Blaine Anderson after all. He always stopped criminals like Ethan and he would do it again. He couldn’t fail, not now when it was about his own family’s safety.

"Do you hear me?" he whispered. "I will find you. I will stop you and I will make you suffer for what you have done to them. You will pay for this."

He meant it. He would find Ethan, even if he had to go through every single building of the city on his own and he would stop him for once and for all.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.

Danny closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep so badly but those images didn’t let him rest. He had no idea what they meant. They didn’t seem like memories, more like those hallucinations he had during the day. They were just imagines, nothing more. One of a needle. Another one of being held down. Than there were those feelings, pain and fear. They were so confusing. He tried to get them out of his head but he couldn’t get rid of them. 

He sighed and turned to his back, staring at the ceiling. It was still too early to get up. Blaine was surely still asleep and Danny had no idea what to do. He wanted to talk to someone because he felt so lonely right now and felt like being with someone he trusted would help. But then he remembered what had happened the previous day. His memories cloudy as if they weren’t even real but he knew that it had happened this time. He had lost control and he hadn’t been alone this time. Blaine had seen him, he knew that something was wrong with him. And it scared the boy. Blaine would surely tell Kurt about it and the man would freak out. Yes, he knew Kurt. He would take him to the therapist again and make him talk. But Danny didn’t want to talk to that woman. He wanted to deal with his problems alone.

Maybe that was the solution, he told himself. Maybe he should give up fighting and just let those images come. Maybe if he stopped trying to suppress them, they would let him understand things better. As he thought about it and relaxed a bit, a new image appeared. He found himself in a dark alley this time, he was scared but there was that strange feeling of relief, too. He wasn’t alone. There was Kurt, too, seemingly desperate, but still there. The boy opened his eyes again and frowned. What were these images supposed to mean? Damn, he was so confused…

He decided to get up and make a coffee for himself. He usually didn’t drink coffee, he didn’t like its taste but he was so exhausted, he needed something to keep him awake. He had to get ready for school soon, go home to change clothes and then act like everything was fine again. He was so tired of it. He wanted to stay strong for Kurt and Blaine but he wasn’t sure if he could do it again.

"You are weak."

The mug fell from his hand as he turned around sharply to face the man who kept haunting him day and night. He was shaking badly as he looked around, searching for the source of the voice, but he didn’t find anything. He was all alone in the kitchen. Well, for a moment.

Seconds later, the door opened and Blaine rushed inside, his eyes wide, seemingly scared. He looked around as if he expected to find somebody else there but relaxed a bit when he saw that it was just Danny.

"What happened?" he asked.

Danny looked down at the pieces of the mug at his feet.

"I-I broke the mug" he said.

Blaine wasn’t angry. He stepped to him and crouched down to collect the pieces from the ground. He grimaced when he noticed the small patches of blood on Danny’s bare feet.

"You must have cut yourself" Blaine said. "Stay still until I clean this up."

"Okay" Danny said quietly. He watched the blood on feet and another memory came into his mind. Blaine lying on the ground in his own blood, not moving. Desperation. Fear. A strong hold on him that didn’t let him go anywhere.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked in concern.

"He shot you" Danny muttered.

"Oh" Blaine said and glanced at his shoulder. "It’s fine, Danny. I’m already healed."

Danny couldn’t let those images out of his head. He had never been so scared before. But that day… It had been horrible. He remembered being forced away from Blaine and down those stairs. There had been a gun, too. He had had no choice. Somebody had screamed for help, had it been him? He wasn’t sure. Things were so confusing.

"Come on" Blaine said as he gently took the boy’s uninjured hand. "We should clean out those cuts."

Danny nodded and silently followed Blaine back to the living room. He took a place on the couch and watched in silence as Blaine took care of the cuts that kept bleeding.

"They aren’t deep" Blaine said. "I have no idea why they keep bleeding."

"It’s fine" Danny said. He wasn’t in pain and wounds healed. At least on the surface.

"What were you doing in the kitchen?" Blaine asked after a while.

"I couldn’t sleep" Danny answered.

"You shouldn’t be alone" Blaine said.

"I know" Danny said. "I only hear him when I’m alone."

"Who?" Blaine asked.

Danny remained silent. Blaine would think that he was crazy and talk to Kurt. He couldn’t let it happen. He was fine. Fine. Fine. He wanted to be so badly.

"I think you should stay home for a while" Blaine said gently. "You’re clearly not ready for school. It would just make everything worse."

"Because I’m crazy?" Danny asked.

Blaine looked up into the boy’s eyes and smiled sadly.

"You’re not crazy" he said. "Traumatized? Yes. But not crazy."

"I want to feel normal again" Danny whispered.

"You will" Blaine reassured him. "You might need some more time but you will get better."

"When?" Danny asked.

Blaine sighed heavily. He wished he knew the answers.

"You have to face your fears to get over them" he said, hoping that he wouldn’t cause any trouble. "And you have to have to get over them to feel normal again. It’s a long process. It won’t happen too soon."

Danny sighed and looked away.

"I’m so tired" he said.

"I know" Blaine nodded. "I’ll call Kurt again. If he agrees, you could stay with me today."

"You have to work" Danny pointed out.

"There’s nothing I can’t do from home" Blaine told him. That wasn’t true. He had a lot of research to make but he wouldn’t leave Danny like this. He needed him.

"I want to stay" Danny said.

"Alright" Blaine smiled and squeezed his hand. "Stay here. I’ll make you breakfast."

As Blaine left the room, another image came to view. A memory? Maybe.

This isn’t about you. Or Kurt. I only want Blaine. That’s why I’m offering you a way out.

Danny had no idea what it was about but it scared him so much. Was Blaine in danger? He had to remember. If that man was still out there and wanted to hurt Blaine, he had to do something. He already had an idea...

~ o ~

Kurt ran out of the house when he noticed Blaine’s car and was at the door before Danny could get out. He pulled the boy into his arms and kissed his forehead. He was so worried about Danny. Blaine had told him everything and it scared him. He had been such an idiot. He had known that Danny wasn’t ready to go back to school, he shouldn’t let him leave the house so soon. Thank God Blaine was there. Who knew what could have happened to the boy without him.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked as he pulled away from Danny to check on him.

"Yeah" Danny said quietly. Everyone kept asking him this and he kept repeating the same thing as if it would make it real. But he was far from being fine.

"I’m so sorry, honey" Kurt said. "I didn’t have my phone and…"

"It’s fine, Kurt" Blaine said. "I took care of everything."

Kurt didn’t think. He was so glad Blaine had been there when Danny had needed him, he didn’t even know what he was doing as he stepped to the man and threw his arms around him. It felt so nice. Having Blaine so close after all these weeks felt better than anything.

"Thank you" he said.

"It’s completely normal" Blaine said but didn’t move away. He enjoyed having Kurt so close just as much as the other man.

It didn’t last as long as he wanted, though. Kurt realized what he was doing soon after that and stepped away from Blaine, looking down awkwardly.

"Why don’t we go inside?" Blaine offered.

"Of course" Kurt nodded and walked back to Danny to put an arm around him. "Come on, honey. You must be tired."

Danny nodded in silence. He wanted to sleep so badly. Although he had had a lot more sleep than usually that night, the nightmares made him tired all the time. He could use some more sleep.

"Are you hungry?" Kurt asked.

"No. I just want to sleep" Danny said.

"Do you want me to go upstairs with you?" Kurt offered.

"I’ll be fine" Danny said.

Both men watched as he slowly walked to the stairs and disappeared from their sight soon after that. When they heard the door being closed, Kurt sighed and turned to look at Blaine.

"What happened to him?" Kurt asked.

"Panic attack" Blaine said. "I have no idea what caused it. The teacher said that he had been fine until he went out to the bathroom."

"Do you think somebody hurt him?" Kurt asked in concern.

"I don’t think so" Blaine said. "But I don’t think he’s ready for school. There are too many people around and he seemingly isn’t ready for that."

"You might be right" Kurt nodded. "I didn’t want this. I thought…"

"I know" Blaine said gently. "You wanted the best for him. But he isn’t ready."

"I guess I have to talk to the principal again" Kurt said, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Do you want me to do it?" Blaine offered.

"No. I can take care of everything" Kurt said.

Kurt might have acted like he was fine but he was far from that. Blaine could see how exhausted the other man was. Kurt was so pale and looked a lot older than before. It was so hard for him and he wanted to help him badly.

"You know, if you need someone to talk to…"

"I’m fine, Blaine" Kurt said quickly. "Thank you for everything."

He expected Blaine to leave but the man didn’t move. Kurt gulped nervously. He was afraid of talking to Blaine because he always thought that the man knew more than he was supposed to.

"Is there something else you want to talk about?" Kurt asked.

"You said that you found Danny on the driveway" Blaine said slowly.

"Uhm… yes?" Kurt said uncertainly. He knew this look. And he didn’t like where this conversation was heading.

"It’s interesting" Blaine said. "Ethan is a clever man. He surely knew that there were cameras all around the house. Why did he risk getting caught when he could have lured you to an alley or something?"

Blaine was afraid that Kurt would faint. He turned so pale so quickly and his eyes were full of fear. He could have been a great actor but now that Blaine practically told him that he knew the truth, he panicked. 

"The cameras weren’t working" Kurt said quickly. "I turned them off. All of them."

"Why did you do that?" Blaine asked.

Kurt had no idea what to say. He was so lost in his lies that it was too late to come back. Blaine knew. He knew everything and he would screw up everything and Ethan would take Danny away and he wouldn’t see him ever again…

Blaine didn’t say anything more. He smiled sadly and stepped closer to Kurt.

"I want you to be safe" he said gently.

Something hard was pressed into his hand and Kurt looked down to see what it was. His eyes widened when he realized that it was a gun. A real one.

"I don’t… I-I…"

"You have to be able to defend yourself. And Danny" Blaine said. "You know how to use it."

"Yes" Kurt whispered.

Blaine hesitated for a second but then pulled Kurt into his arms for a brief moment. Kurt didn’t even have time to hug back or pull away, Blaine wasn’t sure which one he would have chosen. He stepped away from the man and took a deep breath before turning to leave. The silence had told him more than anything Kurt had told him. They both knew. Blaine didn’t need words anymore to know why Kurt had broken up with him. He was scared. Ethan had threatened him and he was too scared to listen to Blaine anymore. He wouldn’t change his mind, not until Blaine showed him that he had nothing to be scared of. And that was exactly what he wanted to do.

~ o ~

Kurt was falling apart. He had tried to stay strong, really, but he wasn’t sure he could do it anymore. Danny’s panic attack scared him. He made that day free to stay with the boy but he had to go to work the next day again and it meant leaving his son alone. There was another option, of course. He could ask Blaine to come over or take Danny with him for a while, until Kurt figured out how to deal with this new life. He still didn’t call Blaine. He knew that Blaine would be happy to be with Danny and probably wouldn’t mind taking a few days off, but it would mean meeting him again and that was what Kurt wanted the least. Blaine asked too many questions and their last conversation scared him to death. How could he forget about the cameras? He should have known that Blaine would watch the recordings. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that Blaine had already seen them, so he also knew that Kurt had lied to him. And if he knew, he wouldn’t stop searching until he figured out what had really happened that night. Kurt had to figure out what to do. He had to convince Blaine somehow to stpp trying because if Ethan figured out that he knew everything, he would come back. Although the man had left them alone since that night, Kurt could feel that he was around. He couldn’t explain that feeling but he knew. He could feel the danger every second of every day. Yes, it was still there and Kurt had to be very careful with his actions. He had been careless before, because he had been too worried about his son but it had to end. Now when he still had a chance to correct things, before it was too late.

He walked upstairs that night, feeling more exhausted than before. This situation was too much for him, he was so worried all the time and it made him so tired. He wanted to sleep so badly, rest without nightmares and worries, just for one night. Before moving back to his room, though, he went to check on Danny first. To his surprise, the boy was still awake, sitting on his bed with his back pressed to the bed frame, watching the ceiling.

"Is everything alright?" Kurt asked in concern as he stepped into the room. Danny had stayed in his room for the whole day, mostly sleeping but he hadn’t gone downstairs even when he had been awake. He was so quiet again.

"Yeah" Danny said, his eyes still on the ceiling. "I’m just thinking."

"About what?" Kurt asked as he joined him on the bed.

Danny took a deep breath and turned to look at him, his eyes full of concern.

"I… I keep having these flashbacks" he started hesitantly.

"What kind of flashbacks?" Kurt asked, trying to hide how worried he was. No. Danny couldn’t remember that night. He had to keep him safe and he could only do it if Danny didn’t know the truth.

"I’m not sure they are flashbacks" Danny said. "I know it’s weird but my mind is messing with me all the time and I can’t really decide what’s real."

"It’s normal" Kurt said. "Maybe I can help you. What are those… hallucinations about?"

Danny seemed hurt for a second, probably because Kurt called those pictures hallucinations without knowing anything, but his eyes changed back within seconds. Maybe because he knew that Kurt might have been right about this.

"I… It’s stupid" he said as he looked down. "I know you said that you found me on the driveway but… I keep dreaming about an alley. I’m pulled out of a car and you run to me and pull me into your arms. And I feel safe again."

Kurt took a few deep breaths, trying not to panic. That was what he was so scared of, that Danny would remember that night. What should he do? Tell him that he was right? Or lie to him? Why did he have to go through this? He didn’t want to hurt this family, especially not his child who had gone through so much. But he knew what was the best for them.

"Honey, it’s just a dream" he said in the end. "I guess this is your way to process things. You don’t want to accept the truth and your mind came up with a better explanation."

"Oh" Danny muttered. "That… That might be true."

"I know you want to remember everything but you shouldn’t try so hard" Kurt said. "The memories will come back. Don’t worry about them."

"You might be right" Danny muttered.

"Because I am" Kurt said with a forced smile. "Sleep, honey. It’s been a long day."

Danny sighed and climbed under the comforter. Kurt stayed with him for a while, holding his hands in his until Danny fell asleep. Then he pressed a kiss to the boy’s forehead and quietly left the room. He walked back into his own room and was about to change clothes when his phone rang. Kurt reached for it immediately, sighing heavily. He just wanted to sleep. Why couldn’t people leave him alone?

"Kurt Hummel" he said, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Good evening, Kurt."

Kurt was pretty sure that his heart stopped for a moment when he recognized the voice. It had been a while since he had heard him but he would have been happy not to hear about him anymore. 

"Ethan" he whispered.

"Ah, so you remember me" the other man said happily. "I thought you already forgot about me."

"What do you want?" Kurt asked shakily.

"To say hi" Ethan laughed. "It’s been a long time since we last met."

"You said that you would leave us alone" Kurt said. "I did as you told me. What else do you want?"

"You did as I told you? Are you sure?" Ethan asked. "That hug today didn’t look too friendly. Are you sure there isn’t more between you and Blaine than friendship?"

"There’s nothing between us!" Kurt said quickly.

"I’m not sure, you know" Ethan said. "How is Danny doing? Does he talk about me a lot? I miss having him around."

"Leave him alone!" Kurt shouted.

"I’m just worried about him. That panic attack yesterday seemed really bad" Ethan said.

Kurt couldn’t breath. If Ethan knew about that, it must have meant that he had been at the school the previous day. He had been following Danny. God, he could have hurt him… How could he let his son leave the house when that monster was still out there? How could he be so stupid?

"Oh, I see he’s already asleep. Good. He needs a lot of rest."

Now Kurt was panicking. How did Ethan know what Danny was doing? How could he see him?

A horrible thought crossed his mind and he ran into Danny’s room, only to find the boy totally alone. Danny moaned and raised his head but when he saw that it was only Kurt, he went back to sleep immediately.

"How…"

"I told you" Ethan said. "I know about everything you do. I see and hear you all the time, so don’t try anything if you don’t want to lose your son."

He disconnected the call before Kurt had a chance to say anything. The man stared down at the phone in his shaking hand with wide eyes. Damn, it was close. He had been careless and had stupidly forgotten about the danger. Even if it was just a moment, Ethan had seen it. Kurt was pretty sure that this was his last warning. He would come for Danny if it happened again.

If he found out about it… Kurt walked out of Danny’s room, trying to find out how the man knew about everything they did. He wasn’t there, so how could he see and hear everything?

He tried so hard to find the answer but it didn’t come. It was impossible. Their house was clean, nobody was allowed to step inside unless they passed the bodyguards. Ethan couldn’t see or hear them.

But he still did.

They weren’t safe. Even with the bodyguards in the house, they were in danger.

Kurt quickly walked back into his room, locked the door from inside and took a few deep breaths as he walked to his nightstand. He opened the drawer and grabbed the gun Blaine had given him. He quickly checked if it was loaded and then pulled it close to his chest. He had to keep it close all the time because now it was clear that he had to keep his eyes open and be ready for everything. And he had to be careful. More careful than before. If something happened to Danny, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

"I won’t let that happen" he whispered to himself. "I won’t let you hurt him again."

He held the gun away and pointed it at the wall. Yes, he could do it. He would shoot that lunatic if he went close his son again. He had been careless and weak once, he had let Blaine deal with everything, but it was over. Now it was just him. And he would defend his family if he had to.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I almost forgot to upload this chapter.:) There're only a few days left of work and I'm done with the university for this semester (thank God), I'm so exhausted. But it's almost over. I might add two more chapters before the holidays and then take a short break.  
> Thank you for reading this story. Enjoy!

Afraid of what would happen if he let Danny spend too much time with Blaine, Kurt decided not to let the boy meet the man at all. Kurt knew that it didn’t solve anything, it brought up too many questions he couldn’t answer, but that phone call the other day had scared him too much. He found himself searching for that man wherever he went, he was afraid that he followed him and sometimes he was certain that Ethan was there, even if he couldn’t see him. So he panicked and did the stupidest things of his life. He decided not to let Danny out of the house until it was safe. He convinced the boy that it was better for him to stay home, at least until he felt better. That was the easy part. Danny was afraid that he would have another panic attack, so he let Kurt make the decision for him this time. But there was the other problem…

"What are you doing?" he asked Danny one evening when he found the boy sitting on his bed with his phone in his hand.

"I’m trying to reach Blaine" Danny explained. "To discuss this weekend with him."

"The weekend?" Kurt asked in surprise.

"Of course. It’s the second weekend, remember?" Danny asked slowly. How could Kurt forget?

"Oh. I forgot about it" Kurt muttered.

"I don’t know why he isn’t answering his phone. He knew I wanted to talk to him" Danny said, seemingly hurt. He missed Blaine and these phone calls were very important for him.

"Sweetie, you know that he’s a busy man" Kurt said. "They have a lot of concerts before the holidays. He must still be working."

Although it was just an excuse to keep Danny away from Blaine, it seemed to work.

"You might be right" Danny nodded. "He told me that they had to practice a lot…"

"See? Everything is fine" Kurt said. "I think you should leave him alone for a while, let him work. We can spend the weekend together."

"But I want to see Blaine" Danny muttered.

"I know, but he clearly doesn’t have time for you now" Kurt said as he sat down beside Danny. "Look, I’m happy that he wants to spend so much time with you but he can’t ignore his job forever. Puck and the others need him. You know how hard they work this time of the year."

"I know" Danny said hesitantly.

"We could go to the mall together" Kurt said. "Buy presents for Christmas for example. And clothes. It’s been forever since we went out shopping. Don’t you want that?"

Danny wanted to tell Kurt that the last place he wanted to be was the mall before the holidays but he didn’t want Kurt to be worried about him. He was fine. Or at least he wanted to be.

"I-I think it would be nice" Danny said in the end.

"Perfect" Kurt smiled. "I’ll let the bodyguards know, so they’ll be prepared."

"Do we really need them?" Danny asked uncertainly.

"Just to make you comfortable" Kurt said. "I want you to feel safe, even when we aren’t home."

He was relieved that it was so easy to convince Danny. At least now that the boy was still healing and uncertain. Kurt felt bad for doing this to Danny but it was for his own sake. Who knew, maybe a few more weeks and Danny would forget about Blaine and wouldn’t search for him forever. It would make his job a lot easier.

~ o ~

Kurt was confusing for sure. Blaine had thought that after their last conversation, Kurt knew that he could trust him and let Blaine closer, but it happened on the contrary. Kurt didn’t call him anymore to let him know how Danny felt or what they talked about. He called Blaine twice, only to tell him that Danny wouldn’t be able to go over to him because they had something else to do. Blaine was hurt. He had thought that they could make this work but it looked like Kurt didn’t care about his feelings anymore. He shut Blaine out of his life and it looked like he wanted to keep Danny away from him as well. Why, Blaine had no idea.

He found himself accepting Kurt’s choice for some reason. He didn’t want that, not at all, but he was so tired of fighting. Fighting against Ethan would have been enough but sometimes it felt like Kurt was against him as well. And it was just too much for Blaine. He didn’t care about Ethan but Kurt was the man he loved and his rejection hurt more than anything else. Blaine didn’t want to hear him come up with new lies about why he was so distant. They both knew that Kurt was just lying and it was fear that kept him away from Blaine. The man had thought that Kurt would come to his senses sooner or later but it had been weeks… Almost months. Kurt couldn’t honestly think that Ethan would leave them alone if he broke contact with Blaine, right? Kurt wasn’t a stupid man…

But maybe he had been right about his feelings. Maybe there was more than fear that held him back. Kurt surely remembered what had happened the last time he had tried to deal with his problems on his own. He had let that crazy Jeremy get him and Danny and Blaine had almost lost them then. Kurt surely knew that it wasn’t a solution and he had a better chance to fight if he had Blaine on his side. But why was he so distant then? Ah, Blaine was going insane.

He took out his phone and watched a few photos before turning back to the piano. This situation was killing him and he felt more and more depressed with every passed moment. He was lost in his thoughts all the time and he wasted too much time for his misery. Danny had called him twice that day but he hadn’t even heard it. And now it was too late, the boy was surely asleep, he couldn’t call him back. Maybe next day…

Or not. Just like he had avoided Danny in the past few days, he would surely do that again and again. Until Danny gave up and didn’t search for him anymore. God, was that really what he wanted? Did he want to lose Danny, too? How could he be so stupid to let this happen? He should fight for what he had and to get back what had been his one time but he just turned away from the world, from the people who meant the most and acted like they didn’t even exist.

Like his own father.

Blaine raised his hands over the keyboard and started playing. He was here because of the new songs after all, he had to practice and come up with a few more songs for their upcoming concerts. He had promised Puck to help him with this because he had to be home more than before to help Quinn around the kids. Quinn had to rest a lot but it was hard with so many children, so she needed her husband more than before. Blaine wanted to help his friends and it wasn’t like he slept too much, he hated being alone home, so he volunteered to take care of the songs. As if it was so easy… He tried to play and shut everything out but his thoughts about Kurt, Danny and his father found him again and again. He played faster.

He had never thought that he would be like his father one day. His dad was the most horrible man of the world who destroyed Blaine’s mother, who had turned her into a puppet, a frustratingly obedient one, who accepted her husband’s choice without a word. If his father had said that he had to stay locked up in his room and couldn’t have anything to eat for a day, his mother hadn’t come to save him. She had cried with him but she had never stood up against her husband. And when Blaine had told them what he wanted to do with his life, his mother had been gone completely. She hadn’t cared about him anymore. She had just let him go. And his father… Yeah, he had been just an asshole like before.

When he had gotten together with Kurt and accepted Danny as his own son, Blaine had made a promise never to do such a thing to Danny. He had promised himself that he would be a better father than his own, that he would make sure Danny was always happy and loved, to make up for the death of his parents. He had been fine with it, it had been so easy. He had imagined adopting a child with his partner, when he hadn’t been with Kurt. Things had happened differently, but he hadn’t cared. He had gotten a whole family, more than what he had hoped. Everything had been so perfect… But now it wasn’t. And it was mostly his own fault.

"I wouldn’t be that piano right now."

Blaine stopped immediately and turned around to face the other man. He hadn’t even heard Puck before, not until he spoke up from right beside him. He had been too lost in his thoughts again.

"Are you alright?" Puck asked.

"Yeah. I’m just working on a song" Blaine muttered.

"It seemed like you were thinking about something" Puck said.

"I was" Blaine nodded. "What are you doing here? It’s late. Shouldn’t you be home with your family?"

"I tried to call you but you didn’t answer" Puck said as he took a seat beside Blaine. "Are you okay?"

"Not really" Blaine said. 

"You were thinking about Kurt again" Puck said.

"I was thinking about my father this time" Blaine admitted. 

"You must hate the guy" Puck smiled sadly.

"I do" Blaine nodded. "He’s an asshole. I haven’t even talked to him for years, I just don’t want to hear about him again."

"So why does he bother you so much now?" Puck asked.

"You didn’t really have a good relationship to your father, right?" Blaine asked.

"Right" Puck nodded. "Well, I don’t even know him. He left me and mom and only showed up when he needed money."

"Aren’t you afraid that you would be like him one day?" Blaine asked quietly.

"Oh, so this isn’t about your father" Puck said. "You are worried that you are an awful father."

"I don’t want to be like him but sometimes it seemed like that’s exactly what I do" Blaine said. "I promised myself that I would never be like him and look at me now… I keep pushing Danny away, the only person left of my family and I don’t even know why."

"I think it has to do something with that guy" Puck said.

"I thought so, too, but I’m not sure anymore" Blaine said in worry. "What should I do? I don’t want to lose Danny. I know you don’t really understand it but I love him like my own son."

"Believe me, I get it" Puck smiled. "So why do you think you are acting like this?"

Blaine tried to find the answer but he had no idea what caused the trouble. Or what he should do. Unless...

"It started when Kurt found those stupid excuses to keep Danny away from me" Blaine said.

"Why would he do that?" Puck frowned.

"I have no idea" Blaine said. "I mean… It seemed like we were fine but then he didn’t let me see Danny anymore and I… Well, I just accepted it."

"Are you sure it wasn’t just a coincidence? That they had something else to do?" Puck asked.

"I don’t know" Blaine muttered.

"I think you’re overreacting" Puck said. "Okay, you two broke up. It’s horrible but Kurt isn’t a bad guy. He wouldn’t keep Danny away from you only because he… Well…"

"Hates me?" Blaine offered.

"I don’t think it’s the right term" Puck said.

"Maybe you are right" Blaine nodded slowly. "I mean… Danny called me. If Kurt would try to keep him away from me, he would make sure we couldn’t get in touch."

"See? Everything is fine" Puck said. "You see shadows even when they aren’t there. It’s normal, considering what that guy did to the kid, but I think that all that keeps you away from Danny is yourself."

"What?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"You are scared of losing him, too" Puck said.

Puck might have been right. Blaine had never looked at things like this but now that Puck mentioned it, it made sense. He was scared that Ethan might hurt his family again, so he had tried to keep distance, even if it wasn’t what he wanted. He did it without thinking about it.

"Call him in the morning" Puck said. "Ask him if he wants to meet you. I think he’ll be happy to see you."

"I guess so" Blaine nodded. It had been so long. He would be happy to spend the weekend with Danny, even if he couldn’t be there for two whole days because of their rehearsals. He would try to spend as much time with the boy as possible.

"See? You have nothing to worry about. You’re a great dad" Puck said.

"Thanks, Puck" Blaine said gladly.

"Now let me help you with this song" Puck said.

"Shouldn’t you go home?" Blaine asked.

"Nah, the others must be asleep. I can stay as long as I want" Puck said and reached for the sheets on the tp of the piano. "This is it?"

"That’s… That’s something else" Blaine said hesitantly. His song for Kurt. Okay, most of his songs were written for Kurt but this one was special. He kept playing it over and over again, trying to find the right words to the notes but he never succeeded.

"It’s looks great" Puck said. "But it has no lyrics."

"Because I can’t write the right one" Blaine said. "I keep thinking about it but I can’t explain what I want to say."

"And what do you want to say?" Puck asked.

So much. There was so much to say. Blaine tried to explain but it didn’t work. He wanted to express his love to Kurt, he wanted to tell him how he felt but he also wanted to include his confusion and fear of losing him. 

"It’s about Kurt" Puck said knowingly.

"Exactly" Blaine nodded. 

"So that’s why you can’t finish this song" Puck nodded. "I can’t blame you. What you two are doing right now…"

"It’s insane. I know" Blaine said in agreement.

"What do you want to tell him with this?" Puck asked.

Blaine closed his eyes and tried to explain his feelings.

"I want to tell him what an amazing person he is" Blaine said. "That he makes my life better. That… That he means everything to me. But I also want to sing about my fears. That I’m scared that we did something wrong and we can’t back what we had. Is it weird?"

"Not at all" Puck said.

Blaine looked at his friend again.

"So what about now?" Blaine asked.

"Now, dude, I think you should have some rest and think about what you want to do with this. You can’t explain everything in just one song" Puck said.

"But I want to" Blaine said.

"What you want is getting back what you had" Puck said. "You should focus on that."

"I should sing about that?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"No, you idiot. You should figure out what to do to get him back" Puck said. "You want the man? Then do something! Kurt won’t come back to you so easily."

"I already tried to talk to him…"

"Maybe you didn’t say what he wanted to hear" Puck said.

"Then what should I say?" Blaine asked.

"You have to figure out on your own" Puck said. "Look, my relationship with Quinn was… Well, it wasn’t too simple at the beginning. But we found each other again and stepped over the past. We got a lot of advice but do you want to the truth? They didn’t help at all. Because nobody really understood us the way we understand each other."

He stood up and stepped away from Blaine.

"If you want him back, you have to figure out where things went wrong and how to make them better. No one can help you with that" Puck said.

"Thanks for nothing" Blaine muttered as his friend walked out of the room. Puck didn’t help him at all. He knew where things had gone wrong but if Kurt didn’t want to listen to him…

Okay, it wasn’t entirely Kurt’s fault. Or his. It was partly their fault but it was Ethan who had ruined everything. Blaine had to catch the man first and than he could get Kurt back. Not so simply, they still had a lot to work on. It was their fault as well. They hadn’t talked to each other. They had kept things from the other and that was the biggest problem. They had pushed each other away in the worst moment and now they didn’t trust each other. They had to get that trust back or else things wouldn’t work between them anymore.

As Blaine thought about it, new words filled his mind. Words he couldn’t find before, words that perfectly fitted his song. He smiled. That was what he had been waiting for. He quickly grabbed a pencil and started writing onto the sheet in front of him. 

"This is perfect" he told himself.

Simply beautiful. And it contained everything he wanted in his song. How could he not do it before? It was so easy now… He was almost done with it. He only had to find a good moment to share it with Kurt. Because he had to be the first one who heard it.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I have a little Christmas before Christmas for you this time.:) I'm going to upload one more chapter before the holidays and then take a break between the holidays.

Kurt had thought that getting Danny back was what he wanted. He had never thought that it would be so hard with him. As weeks passed, Danny started to get better. He still had nightmares but he didn’t have panic attacks anymore. Or at least Kurt didn’t know about them. His arm healed, too, although it still hurt sometimes, he could finally use it and it made everything a little better. Well, almost everything…

It was already Christmas, the most beautiful time of the year, the holiday season Kurt loved so much. They always spent these days in Ohio with Burt and Carole. They cooked a lot, they had a wonderful Christmas tree, they sang songs and spent the evenings in the living room, talking. Kurt had thought that it would be the time of relaxing, a few days he could spend with his family without worrying about the danger waiting for them in Los Angeles. Just a few days… That was all he wanted. 

"We are almost there" Kurt said as he glanced at Danny sitting beside him in the car. "Are you excited to see your grandparents?"

Danny turned away from him, remaining silent. Ever since Kurt had told him about his holiday plans, Danny didn’t talk to him. Kurt had been happy at first because it seemed like he got his son back, but days had passed and Danny still acted like this… Kurt wasn’t sure if he was fine with this. Why couldn’t he have a few days of peace? Was it too much to ask for?

"I know you wanted to stay home but your grandparents haven’t seen you for a long while" Kurt explained. "Besides, we always spend the holidays with them."

"And Blaine" Danny said, still not looking at him.

That was what bothered Danny the most. He had thought that they would spend the holidays like they had in the previous years and it included having Blaine around, too. Apparently, Kurt had other thoughts. He wanted to stay away from the man, be as far away from him as he could for a few days, just until the winter break was over. He was tired of being scared all the time, he needed these few days to feel safe again without having bodyguards following him and Danny all the time, without sleeping with a gun under his pillow. Just a few days…

Unfortunately, Danny didn’t understand his reasons. He wanted to see Blaine, especially since Kurt hadn’t let him see the man since that night when Ethan had called him. Kurt had come up with various excuses why Danny couldn’t see Blaine but now he was out of ideas how to keep his son away from him. He wasn’t sure when would Danny turn against him, maybe disappear again to meet Blaine. He didn’t understand why Kurt acted like this, of course. Nobody did, although Kurt’s reason was very simple. He was scared that Ethan might come up with an excuse to take Danny away from him if they kept meeting Blaine, so he decided to simply break contact with the man to keep Danny safe. And that was where everything had gone wrong...

"Blaine and I aren’t together anymore" Kurt said quietly.

"But I want to see him" Danny said. "I couldn’t even talk to him before we left."

"He’s busy" Kurt said.

"He wanted to meet me but you didn’t let him" Danny said.

"We didn’t have time for that" Kurt said.

"Yes, we did. You only didn’t let him come over because you don’t want to see him" Danny said. "But I miss him."

"You can see him once we go home" Kurt said.

"Really? Or will you find another excuse why I can’t go over to him?" Danny asked.

"Danny…"

"I don’t know why you hate him so much but you can’t keep me away from him only because you’re angry with him. I want to see him" Danny said.

"Fine" Kurt sighed in frustration. "I’ll call him in January, okay? You can go to a movie or something."

"I want to spend every second weekend with him. And at least two other days of the week" Danny said stubbornly.

"No" Kurt said quickly.

"What…"

"I said no" Kurt said again. "I’m sorry, Danny, but I won’t let you go over to him."

"Why?" Danny asked.

"Because…" Kurt tried to come up with a good excuse but he was out of ideas. What could he say? Not the truth. But what else was good enough to believe? "He’s just a friend now. We have to treat him like one."

"I can’t believe you are doing this" Danny said, shaking his head. "Why do you have to ruin everything?"

"You’ll understand one day" Kurt muttered.

Danny turned away from him again, seemingly determined to play hurt until he got what he wanted. Well, not this time. Kurt could be stubborn if he wanted to and now it was very important not to change his mind. Danny was in danger, even if he couldn’t see it. And it was his job as his father to keep him safe.

"Be nice to your grandparents. Please" Kurt said after a while.

Danny simply ignored him for the rest of the ride. There was nothing to say. 

When they arrived, Burt and Carole were already waiting for them in front of the house. Kurt was afraid that Danny would be rude to them, too, but the boy got out of the car within a blink and threw his arms around Carole.

"Honey, it’s so good to see you" Carole said.

"Let go of the boy, Carole" Burt said impatiently and pulled his grandson into his arms the moment Carole stepped back. "Are you alright?"

"Of course, grandpa" Danny smiled.

"You look so skinny. You should eat more" Carole said in concern. "Are you hungry, sweetie? I made your favourites."

"All of your favourites" Burt muttered.

"I haven’t seen our grandson for ages" Carole glared at him. "Come on. Let’s go inside."

Danny walked inside with Carole but Burt stayed behind to help his son with the luggage. Kurt turned away from him, knowing that his father would know that something wasn’t right with him, but the older man simply pulled him away from the car and forced him to look at him.

"Are you alright?" Burt asked.

"Of course, dad" Kurt said. "I’m fine."

"I hate when you lie to me, you know" Burt said.

"Dad…"

"You can pretend that everything is fine inside but you don’t have to do this when it’s just the two of us" Burt said.

Kurt sighed heavily. His father knew him too well. He knew practically everything about him. Well, almost everything… He stepped forward and hugged his father. It had been such a long time since they had met and Kurt had been so rude to his father that time. He wanted to make up for that.

"I’m here if you want to talk" Burt said.

"Thanks, dad, but I think I can deal with this on my own" Kurt said.

"You mean with Blaine?" Burt asked.

"Dad…"

"Do you even talk to him?" Burt asked.

"I do" Kurt nodded. "Uhm… Sometimes."

"He’s a great guy, Kurt."

"Dad, can we not talk about this, at least until the holidays are over?" Kurt asked.

"Fine" Burt sighed. "Be that way. But I won’t let it go so easily."

"Of course not" Kurt snorted. He knew his father too well.

~ o ~

Preparing their food for that night was nice. Kurt talked a lot with Carole, he told her a lot about his upcoming movie and Carole told him everything he had missed in the past months. It was good to have an afternoon like this, only the two of them, while Danny stayed with his grandfather in the living room and they seemingly had a great time together. Danny laughed a lot, much to Kurt’s relief. He was finally happy again. That was all Kurt needed for Christmas.

When they were done with the food, they moved back to the living room. They usually opened the presents before dinner because Danny was too impatient to wait until dinner was over. They sat down around the Christmas tree, waiting for the boy to start. That was when Kurt noticed that something wasn’t right with his dad. Burt kept looking at the door and it made Kurt nervous.

"Is everything alright?" Kurt asked.

"Sure" Burt said.

"Are you waiting for something?" Kurt asked.

As the question left his lips, they heard a soft knock on the door. Carole and Burt looked at each other for a second before Burt stood up and disappeared from the room within a blink.

"Who can it be?" Kurt asked a she turned back to Carole.

"I have no idea" Carole said, looking everywhere but at Kurt.

As they heard footsteps, Kurt turned back to the door to see who it could be. His heart stopped for a second as his father walked back inside, followed by...

"Blaine!" Danny cried out happily. "You are here!"

"Yeah. You are here" Kurt muttered right after that.

Danny jumped up and ran to the man to hug him. Blaine pulled him into his arms gladly and kept him in his tight embrace for a long while.

"I missed you so much" Blaine said.

"I thought I wouldn’t see you until next year" Danny said.

"Well, Burt and Carole invited me for dinner, so…" Blaine’s eyes landed on Kurt’s stunned face and he turned scarlet in a blink. "I hope it’s alright."

"Of course!" Danny said. "Now everything is perfect!"

"Yeah, you’re right" Kurt muttered.

Blaine kept an arm around Danny as they walked into the room and joined the others at the tree. He took a deep breath as he faced Kurt again, afraid of how Kurt would react. He seemed to calm down a bit, so things didn’t seem so awkward anymore. Well, a little less awkward.

"Hi, Kurt" Blaine said.

"Hey, Blaine" Kurt said quietly. "So you are here."

"It’s Christmas. I wouldn’t have missed it" Blaine said.

"That’s… that’s great" Kurt said and quickly turned away from him before he could say or do something embarrassing. "Uhm… Presents! Who wants to open them first?"

It was Danny who opened his presents at first, of course, like always. Then came Burt and Carole and the two men stayed for the end. 

"I-I didn’t bring your present with me. I thought…" Kurt looked away awkwardly. He had never thought that Blaine would show up for Christmas. They had bought something for him with Danny because it was what he had to do but as much as he wanted, he hadn’t bought anything on his own. Ethan watched him all the time. It would have been too dangerous.

"It’s fine, Kurt" Blaine said.

"But we bought you something great" Danny said excitedly. "Can I go over next weekend? Then you could get it."

"Uhm… I would love it but we have a New Year’s Eve concert..."

"Oh" Danny said, seemingly disappointed. "Of course."

"But you could come over any other day" Blaine said quickly. "Whenever you want. Really."

"Blaine, you have to practice for your concert" Kurt said. "It’s okay. We understand. You can see each other in January."

Everyone was looking at them in confusion. Okay, they had broken up but what Kurt was doing was strange. Stranger than the others had expected.

"Who is hungry?" Carole asked to break silence.

"I am" Danny said quickly. "I’m so hungry."

"We shouldn’t let the kid starve" Burt nodded in agreement.

"Of course" Blaine said, his eyes never leaving Kurt. "Let’s eat something."

If Kurt had thought that the night couldn’t get any more awkward, he had been stupid. Because having dinner with his family while Blaine sitting right beside him was like pure torture. He wanted to act so naturally, he wanted to take the man’s hand into his, he wanted to smile at Blaine and tell him everything he had missed. He wanted to feel normal so badly. 

But he couldn’t. This was his life now and he had to remind himself what would happen if he failed again. The memory of that phone call still vivid in his mind, he didn’t even dare look at Blaine. He was too scared of the consequences. Ethan would find out, he told himself. He had no idea how the man did it but he would find out that Kurt failed again and he would take his son from him and he would live his life in fear and uncertainty because he wouldn’t be sure if Danny was fine and he couldn’t let it happen, no, because Danny was innocent and he had to protect him, even if he died of heartache...

"Kurt?"

Kurt blinked in surprise when he found the kitchen completely empty around him, unless he counted Blaine who was still sitting beside him. How could it happen? He had paid attention, he remembered chatting about… something and eating some meat with vegetables but then, nothing. He must have zoomed out at some point. And now here he was, alone with Blaine. Just what he needed in the moment.

"I’m sorry. I’m just… exhausted. It was a long ride" Kurt said as he stood up. "I should go to sleep."

"Don’t" Blaine said and reached out to grab Kurt’s arm to stop him. "Please, don’t go. I want to talk to you."

"Blaine…"

"Just listen to me, okay? That’s all I’m asking for" Blaine said hastily.

Kurt sighed heavily and sat back down, but he looked around briefly, just to make sure no one heard them. Blaine smiled sadly. Kurt was so scared that he couldn’t even feel home at his parents.

"It’s safe here" he said gently.

"It isn’t" Kurt said before he could stop himself.

"No one can see or hear us right now" Blaine said.

"You can’t be sure" Kurt chocked. 

Blaine took a deep breath and put a gentle hand on Kurt’s shoulder. 

"How can I prove that you can trust me?" he asked. "Look, Kurt, I know I handled things horribly back then. I should have stayed with you when I knew how upset you were. I shouldn’t have left that night."

"But you did" Kurt said. "You said that we had to move on. You gave up hope."

He was crying. He didn’t mean to but he couldn’t stop his tears.

"I made a horrible mistake and I’m so sorry for that" Blaine said. "Please, forgive me. Give me another chance."

"I can’t" Kurt said. He finally remembered the way out of the kitchen and was determined to get to it as soon as possible.

Blaine stopped him again, though. He grabbed Kurt’s arm and pulled him back.

"Let go of me" Kurt said. 

"I can’t" Blaine said. "We have to discuss this."

"There’s nothing we have to talk about" Kurt said.

"Seriously?" Blaine asked. "How long do you want to pretend like this is what you want? Until Danny starts asking questions? Or he remembers again? What will you tell him then?"

Kurt’s eyes widened in fear. That was what he wanted to avoid so badly. He couldn’t talk about this because he couldn’t lie to Blaine anymore. The man knew the truth and he wouldn’t believe him. He would be too weak and tell Blaine everything and then Ethan would take Danny away from him and he wouldn’t survive that...

"I won’t let him hurt Danny" Blaine said knowingly.

Kurt lost it. He had tried so hard to resist it but he couldn’t anymore. He threw his arms around Blaine, crying so hard that he wasn’t sure he could stop at all. He was so scared. And tired. He just wanted to get over with this.

"I’m so scared" he said.

"I know" Blaine said. "I know you are but you have to let me help you. That’s the only way, Kurt. We have to stop him or else it won’t be over. He won’t leave you alone. Maybe now you think that he’s gone but believe me, he’s out there, ready to strike again when you don’t pay attention."

"Don’t you think I know that?" Kurt asked as he pulled away.

"What happened that night, Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"Blaine…"

"Kurt, you have to trust me. Please" Blaine said desperately. "I want you back. Both of you. This is killing me and I know it’s not better for you either. Let me help you."

He moved closer to Kurt, so close that there was barely a gap between them. He could feel Kurt’s warmth, his sweet scent, everything he had missed so much.

"Give me a chance" Blaine whispered. "I can keep you safe. I can take you to somewhere he can’t find you until this is over. I-I can get you more bodyguards. Whatever you want. Just please, please, give me a chance. Let me show you that you are safe with me."

And then he gathered his courage to close that small gap between them. He pulled Kurt close and pressed his lips to Kurt’s, slowly and carefully, as if he was afraid that something horrible could happen in the next moment. Nothing happened, though. It felt like magic, like the first time he had kissed Kurt. He wasn’t sure if he could stop kissing Kurt anytime soon. Or at all. It felt so right, so perfect. He wanted to stay there forever, with this amazing man in his arms. He wanted everything back, immediately. And he knew that Kurt felt the same way.

But it ended eventually. It was Kurt who slowly pulled away from him, seemingly fighting his feelings. Blaine reached for him again but Kurt stepped back before Blaine’s hands could touch his waist.

"I can’t" Kurt whispered. "I’m sorry, Blaine. I want to give you a chance, I really do, but…"

"Kurt, please…"

"It has to end" Kurt said, taking another step backwards. "It has to be that way. I know it hurts now but you’ll get over me. You have to."

"I won’t give up" Blaine said determinedly.

"Yes, you will" Kurt said. "If you want the best for all of us, you’ll give up."

And with that, he turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Blaine all alone with his thoughts. Weeks earlier, Blaine would have fallen back to depression but it wouldn’t happen now, not after his talk with Puck, not when he knew what he wanted and what he had to do. It wasn’t over. He would get Kurt back. He would show him how much he loved him and he would make everything better. He knew he could do it. This day proved that Kurt still loved him, that there was still hope for them. It was enough for him to stay strong in that moment.

"I know you love me" he said. "You might not be ready but you’ll be soon. I’ll keep my promise, Kurt. He won’t cause you any more pain. I’ll make sure he won’t."


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I promised you another chapter before Christmas. Here it is! I hope you like it.  
> Happy Holidays!

Although it was Christmas, there were a lot of people gathering in the Sterling-Duvall residence. Not because they had a party, not at all. The children were already asleep and their fathers moved to the living room to have a serious conversation with their friends.

"We have nothing" Jeff said in frustration. "A huge. Fucking. Nothing."

"Hey, be quiet" Nick said. "The kids will wake up."

"I don’t care!" Jeff said.

"You do" Nick said quietly. "You’re just frustrated that we couldn’t catch that guy."

"Of course I am!" Jeff said. "It’s Christmas. Kurt and Blaine should be together. We made a promise that we would catch Ethan by now."

"It’s not our fault that the guy is like a ghost" Wes said.

Jeff sighed and took a seat beside his husband. It was so hard for all of them. They had been working hard to find Ethan and catch him but the man seemed to disappear. They knew that he was still in the city but he must have found out that they were searching for him. He was clever. But they had to find him. There had to be a way to find him.

"We have to do something" he said in the end.

"Jeff, we’re doing our best but it’s not that easy" David said slowly.

"There has to be a way to find him" Jeff muttered. "Nick, you have to go through the recordings again. Maybe we missed something…"

"Jeff."

"We just can’t sit here and let that asshole destroy Blaine’s family" Jeff said desperately.

"We won’t" David said.

"Oh, really? Do you have an idea how to catch him?" Jeff asked.

"I actually do" David answered.

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise.

"If we are correct, he threatened Kurt to hurt him or Danny if he stayed with Blaine" David explained. "He stayed in the city to make sure Kurt kept himself to the deal."

"I don’t understand" Nick said and the others nodded in agreement.

"He’s watching Kurt" David said. 

"We already tried that" Wes said. "He never showed up at the house."

"And he won’t show himself, unless Kurt does something that is unacceptable for Ethan" David said. "Like going back to Blaine, for example."

"And you think he would just do that?" Jeff snorted. "They broke up. Kurt’s terrified, he barely even talks to us and he doesn’t talk to Blaine at all unless it’s about Danny. Do you think we can convince him so easily to help us?"

"I didn’t say that" David said.

"Then what do you want to do?" Wes asked.

David smiled as a new plan formed in his head.

"Blaine has a concert on New Year’s Eve" David said.

"I don’t get it" Nick said. "Why would a concert help us?"

"Because Kurt will be there and he won’t be able to resist Blaine" David said. "Come on, we know them. Kurt can act like he’s over Blaine but once he’ll be forced to be in the same room with Blaine and listen to his voice, he’ll go back to him."

Silence followed his words. David waited for his friends to tell him what a great idea it was but it never happened.

"You are crazy" Nick said in the end.

"Why?" David asked.

"First of all, Kurt won’t leave Danny for a concert" Wes said. "Not to mention how risky it can be. Don’t get me wrong, I want them to get back together but risking their safety…"

"If you have a better plan, I’m listening" David said.

The others fell silent again. David was right, although it was a crazy plan, it was the only one they had.

"I think it can work" Jeff said in the end.

"What?" Nick asked. "You can’t honestly think that…"

"They are suffering" Jeff said. "We have to do something and although I don’t want to risk their safety, this is our only option. We’ll make it."

"And how exactly do you want to make it work?" Wes asked.

"With the help of our good old friends" Jeff smiled as he took his phone into his hand. He was so excited. He couldn’t wait to see their friends back together. It was just the matter of time. And then they would be there to catch Ethan and make sure he couldn’t hurt Blaine or his family ever again.

~ o ~

Kurt was sitting in the living room all alone, lost in his thoughts. He was glad that he had some time alone, although the reason of this little alone time was something he didn’t want to think about. It was getting harder with Danny. He tried so hard to make him happy but since he couldn’t give the boy what he needed the most, things became so complicated. He was losing Danny. The boy spent a lot of time alone in his room, especially after fights like they had had earlier that day. It was so stupid. Kurt didn’t even remember why they had fought, he only remembered that Danny had muttered something under his breath and walked back into his room, slamming the door behind him. It happened more and more often. They were both frustrated, they missed Blaine and it had its horrible effects on their relationship. Kurt wished he could give Danny everything he needed. Damn, he wished he could take Blaine back and they could live happily again. He couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss in Lima. It had felt so right, so perfect. For a brief moment, he had felt safe again and made himself believe that they could make things work again. But then he remembered that horrible phone call, too, and fear took over the place of those pleasant feelings. He couldn’t make a mistake like that again. He was lucky that Ethan hadn’t been there to see them, that he still had his son. He couldn’t lose Danny. He would die if he lost him again.

It made him wonder how could Ethan see them again. The man hadn’t showed himself again since Christmas, so it had to mean that he wasn’t in Ohio or at least he didn’t know about what Kurt had done. Kurt had a feeling that he hadn’t followed them there because he had known that he couldn’t do anything there. Because they were safe, or at least out of his sight. Kurt raised his head and bit his lower lip nervously. He had thought about it so many times but he couldn’t figure out how Ethan watched them. He had secret cameras and bugs in their home? Kurt shook his head immediately. The house was clean, Blaine’s bodyguards had checked the place several times. It had to be something else. But what?

The sudden ring of the doorbell pulled him out of his thoughts. He frowned as he stood up and walked to the door where Brad was already standing, waiting for his instruction. Kurt motioned him to open the door and stepped forward.

"Surprise!"

Kurt watched the three women on his doorstep with wide eyes. Okay, it wasn’t that surprising that Tina was there, she visited him almost every week but to find Mercedes and Rachel in front of his house right after Christmas when they were always with their families at this time of the year was definitely a surprise.

"Ladies!" he said, unable not to smile. "Oh, my God! You are here!"

"I missed you so much" Rachel said as she threw her arms around Kurt. 

"Hey, let go of my boy" Mercedes said as she stepped forward and pulled Kurt into her arms. "It’s so good to see you."

"You too" Kurt said. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting Tina and her adorable baby girl" Rachel said. "She’s so beautiful."

"Thank you" Tina smiled.

"We are staying in the city for a few more days" Mercedes added.

"That’s amazing!" Kurt said. "I’m so happy to see you, guys."

"Does it mean we can go inside?" Mercedes asked.

"Oh, of course" Kurt said quickly. "Come in!"

They walked into the living room and Kurt quickly got them drinks and snacks. When he walked back into the living room, he was surprised to find Danny in the circle of the three women, seemingly lost in their conversation.

"Oh, I see you heard us" Kurt said as he placed the tray onto the coffee table. 

"You are loud" Danny smiled.

Kurt frowned. He was happy to see Danny smile but he had a feeling that there was something behind his good mood. Something he didn’t know about.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Sure" Danny said. "I’m just happy to see Rachel and Mercedes."

"We missed you both" Rachel said.

"Do you have plans for New Year’s Eve?" Mercedes asked.

"No" Kurt said as he glanced at Danny. "I mean… I think we’ll stay home and watch movies."

"Oh, come on, you have to move out" Mercedes said.

"And we have a great idea what we should do that night" Rachel added.

"Just the four of us. Like in the good old days" Tina said.

"I thought you wanted to stay with Emma and Wes" Kurt muttered.

"I deserve a night off" Tina shrugged.

"You have to come with us" Rachel said. "There’s a great new club downtown and their New Year’s Eve program is really promising."

"It would be great, guys, but…"

Kurt looked at Danny again. He knew for sure that he wouldn’t leave his son alone that night, not even if he would gladly go with the girls. He would just skip this event, it really wasn’t a big deal.

"Go with them" Danny said encouragingly.

"Wait, what?" Kurt asked. "But-but what about you?"

"I won’t be home anyway" Danny shrugged.

"You won’t?" Kurt asked in surprise.

"Nick and Jeff invited me over for that night" Danny explained.

"And you said yes?" Kurt asked, still surprised. Danny barely left the house and he didn’t seem like he was ready for a party. Even if it was an innocent one like this.

"Of course" Danny said. "Don’t get me wrong, Kurt, I love you but I’m too old to spend New Year’s Eve with my dad."

"And spending it with my friends is better?" Kurt asked.

"Sure" Danny smiled. "It’s gonna be so much fun. Just the triplets, baby Emma, me and a few adults."

"With a lot of food and no alcohol. Perfect for a teenager" Tina said helpfully.

"You want to spend New Year’s Eve with the triplets and Emma" Kurt repeated slowly. He knew Danny. He also knew that Danny didn’t go near the triplets if he had another choice, he found them too loud and annoying.

"Jeff and Nick asked me to help them with the kids" Danny explained.

"Oh, I get it" Kurt said. That explained a lot.

"He volunteered to take care of Emma. Isn’t he sweet?" Tina smiled at Danny.

"She’s cute" Danny shrugged.

"I could go with you, too" Kurt said. "I trust Nick and Jeff but I think five kids are a little too much for the two of them."

"That’s why I’ll be there" Danny said. "Don’t worry, we’ll be fine."

"Come on, Kurt. You have to come with us" Rachel said.

"I don’t know" Kurt said uncertainly.

"Say yes" Danny said. "Have fun, dance and drink or whatever you do when you go to a club. I’ll be fine. Really."

Kurt watched his son for a while. Danny seemed fine. There was no sign of uncertainty or fear in his eyes anymore. Maybe he was right, Kurt should go with the girls and spend some time without his son, especially if that was what Danny wanted.

"Fine" he sighed in the end.

"Seriously?" Mercedes asked.

"Yes" Kurt nodded. "But only if Danny is okay with it."

"I already told you" Danny said and stepped to Kurt to hug him. "It’s gonna be so great!"

Kurt had no idea what he meant. He surely didn’t think that babysitting the triplets and a baby was the best he could do. Or maybe he did… Danny had changed so much lately, Kurt could never be sure what to expect from the boy. At least he seemed happy that Kurt said yes and if it made Danny feel better, Kurt would do anything he had to.

Later that afternoon, when the three women said goodbye, they walked to Tina’s car and got in. Tina waited until Kurt walked back to the house and then called Wes immediately.

"What did he say?" Wes asked as he picked up.

"Is everything alright at home?" Tina asked.

"Of course. I can take care of my own daughter" Wes answered. Tina could practically hear him roll his eyes. "So what happened?"

"Let’s say stage one of operation Klaine is completed" Tina said. She reached for her sunglasses just as the others did the same and put it on. Then she turned to look at her friends and laughed. "We would be amazing secret agents."

"I’m sure, honey" Wes laughed.

"We have to move to the next step. We barely have enough time until the concert" Mercedes said.

"That’s right. Call Jeff and tell him everything" Tina told her husband.

"As you wish, my darling" Wes said as he disconnected the call.

They were silent for a while as Tina was driving back to her own house. It was Rachel who spoke up in the end.

"When do we want to tell Kurt that we’re going to Blaine’s concert?" she asked.

"Never" Mercedes and Tina answered at the same time.

~ o ~

Jeff was humming happily as he made his way to Blaine’s office. He was such a genius. Okay, the original idea wasn’t his this time but he made it work after all. He had convinced his friends that it could work, he had called the girls, not to mention that he had come up with a good excuse to make Danny stay with him and Nick the night of Blaine’s concert. So it was his hard work that would bring Kurt back where he belonged, right in Blaine’s arms. He knew that it would happen like that, he could already imagine it. Kurt would hear Blaine sing, go after him to his room and threw himself into his arms. Right, he had to make sure no one disturbed them because he was perfectly sure that it would happen like that and the last thing he wanted was his friends being caught in such a situation. He had to make sure David kept his eyes on that door.

Wes had called him earlier that day and he had talked to Tina as well to discuss the details. He had to be very careful with this. Not only because there was a lunatic out there, ready to hurt his friends but also because it was their only chance to get Blaine and Kurt back together. Their poor friends were so lost, they needed their help. They were lucky that they had such amazing friends who didn’t let them suffer anymore.

He walked to Blaine’s office and knocked on the door. He didn’t wait for an answer, though, he was to excited for that.

"Come in, Jeff" Blaine sighed when he saw his friend enter his room. "How can I help you?"

"You are so gruff for such a beautiful day" Jeff sighed as he walked to Blaine’s desk.

"I have a lot of work to do" Blaine said.

"Sure. Are you excited?" Jeff asked.

"Why should I be?" Blaine asked.

"Your concert on New Year’s Eve!" Jeff said.

"It’s just a concert, Jeff" Blaine shrugged.

"Oh, I know for sure that it’s more. Do you want to know why?" Jeff asked.

"I don’t know. Do I?" Blaine asked.

"Of course!" Jeff said excitedly. "Kurt’s going to be there, too."

Jeff made his best not to laugh as he watched his friend’s stunned face.

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked in the end.

"Of course. I talked to Kurt myself" Jeff lied easily. "He said that he wanted to see you perform. He misses your voice so badly. Believe me, he can’t wait to see you again."

Blaine smiled, remembering their kiss only days earlier. So Kurt felt the same way he did. That was the reason why he wanted to see him again, right? He would gather his courage and ask Blaine to get back together with him, the man was sure.

"I knew you would be happy" Jeff said and stood up. "See you soon!"

"Wait, where are you going?" Blaine asked.

"I’m responsible for the kids’ party. I have a lot to do" Jeff said.

"Kids’ party?" Blaine frowned.

"Yeah, the triplets, Emma and Danny, of course. Don’t worry, we’ll have so much fun! Your boy will be safe with us."

"I don’t know. Is Danny okay with this?" Blaine asked.

"Of course he is! Don’t you think I asked him about it?" Jeff asked, although he knew very well that Danny had only said yes because of his fathers. But Blaine didn’t have to know that.

"I just… I didn’t think he was ready" Blaine said.

"Danny is fine. Let him live a little" Jeff said.

"But if something goes wrong…"

"I’ll handle it" Jeff cut in. "I really have to go now. I just wanted to make sure you know about Kurt, so you can be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Blaine asked.

"Your love is going to be there on your concert. Don’t you think you should give your best form?" Jeff asked.

Blaine looked at himself. Okay, maybe he should get a haircut and take better care of his clothes but he still didn’t look that bad.

"Do something with your hair. And your face. You have to shave, you look horrible like this" Jeff said. "Oh, and wear that leather jacket he loves so much."

"I don’t know…"

"Do you want to get your man back or not?" Jeff asked.

"I don’t think Kurt…"

"Kurt is thinking about taking you back. Don’t screw this up" Jeff said.

"Wait! Did he say that…"

But Jeff walked out of the room before Blaine had a chance to ask more. He couldn’t risk getting caught. Blaine read people way too easily, he would find out that something wasn’t right and they couldn’t let that happen. 

Jeff walked back into his own office, locked the door and reached for his phone. The other man answered immediately.

"Did you talk to him?" Puck asked.

"Of course. I was right, he’s so excited" Jeff said. "You know what you have to do, right?"

"Don’t you trust me?" Puck asked.

"I don’t trust anyone" Jeff said. "Just remember not to tell him anything until the time is right. He can’t find out what we are planning."

"Believe me, Sterling, I can be a better actor than Kurt if I want to" Puck snorted.

"I hope so" Jeff said. "This is our only chance."

He walked back to his desk after going through the details one more time with Puck, sat down and smiled as he looked at the papers in front of him. He had a lot of work to do but who cared? His friends needed him right now, everything else could wait.

"I’m so evil" he told himself as he imagined his friends’ faces when they find out what happened behind their backs.

He just hoped that they wouldn’t kill him after this.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!  
> I hope you enjoyed the holidays and are ready for 2018. Here is the new chapter and now I'm going on a longer research trip for my PhD. I have the next few more chapters written, so I can upload them regularly. I hope I won't get stuck in the woods with no Internet connection.:D  
> Lyrics: Daughtry - What About Now

 

Blaine was nervous. He knew deep inside that it was going to be one of the most important days of his life. He had no idea why he felt like that. It wasn’t like it was a special day. Okay, he hoped that it would be special but it wasn’t like he hadn’t tried to get Kurt back before and he had failed so many times. He wasn’t sure if a concert could change that. Probably not, that was why he felt stupid for spending so much time in the bathroom, trying to get the best out of his look. It wasn’t like he could give Kurt anything he hadn’t seen before. Kurt knew him better than anyone and some changes in his look surely wouldn’t help Blaine get him back. It didn’t mean he couldn’t try to get the best out of himself.

 

Blaine made sure everything was perfect. Although he couldn’t sleep too much thanks to his nerves that didn’t give him a single moment of rest, he didn’t look that bad, luckily. His hair was fine, too. He had gotten a new haircut as Jeff had told him. He had even bought that perfume Kurt loved so much. It was definitely crazy. Kurt didn’t even go near him if he could help it, he surely wouldn’t have a chance to be near him enough to seduce him with his scent. Seduce him… That was the wrong word. He didn’t want Kurt to fall for his body, he wanted to get him back the way they had been before. It was so much more than sex. It was a lot deeper, a lot stronger.

 

He was afraid that he would fail again. He couldn’t give Kurt anything he had promised before. Kurt wanted to feel safe but Blaine could only tell him what he had said in Burt’s kitchen on Christmas Eve. He still didn’t know anything about Ethan and certainly wasn’t close enough to catch him. Yeah, it was definitely crazy to spend so much time in the bathroom. Nothing would happen between them. Nothing at all. Blaine had let himself believe that he could get Kurt back so easily, only because Jeff had said those things and he had stupidly let himself believe that it was as easy as in fairy tales.

 

"You are an idiot, Anderson" he muttered.

 

He still believed in miracles, deep inside. That little voice in his head was so pleasant, he wanted to believe it so badly. So he grabbed his dark leather jacket and looked at his reflection one more time. Whatever happened that night, he would give his best. The rest was entirely Kurt’s decision.

 

~ o ~

 

"Ready?"

 

David groaned in frustration. Jeff was awfully excited, more than usually, and it started to bother him. Okay, he had volunteered to stay outside of the club and coordinate their men but he had thought that it would be a peaceful assignment. And he certainly hadn’t expected to listen to Jeff’s voice the entire night.

 

"As ready as I was five minutes ago" he said.

 

"They’ve just left. Make sure you are ready in case…"

 

"Jeff, I know what I’m doing" David said in frustration. "Would you just leave me alone and let me work? Unlike you, I have no time for this right now."

 

"I’m busy too, thank you very much" Jeff said. "Do you have any idea how hard it is with five kids?"

 

"Yeah, I’m sure you have a lot of trouble with a teenager and a newborn" David rolled his eyes.

 

"You forgot about my triplets."

 

"You had six whole years to get used to them" David pointed out.

 

"It doesn’t mean I..."

 

"Bye, Jeff" David said in disconnected the call. They had a lot of time to discuss this evening, right after that caught Ethan. Then he would be willing to listen to his friend’s nonexistent problems but not now. Now he wanted to catch that guy and make sure he couldn’t go near his friends ever again.

 

He watched in silence as the guests arrived and checked on the other cameras as well, searching for the familiar black van. There was nothing so far but he was sure Ethan would be there. That was his only way to watch Kurt and know what he did inside. Yes, he would be there. They only had to pay attention.

 

Soon after that, his friends arrived. Wes got out of the car first and helped Tina, too. Wes looked at their van briefly, nodding towards them to let David know he knew what he had to do. Then Kurt got out of the car with the other women. He seemed a little nervous but he tried to hide it. He couldn’t fool David, though. He didn’t miss as Kurt looked around nervously, probably searching for possible danger. Like the man who had kidnapped his son and threatened them. David pressed his lips together and forced himself to look at the other screen. It was his only chance to catch that guy and he wouldn’t fail his friends. Not this time.

 

"Remember, guys, be very careful" he told his men. "Nobody can see us until we make sure we find our man. There’s no place for failures. This is our only chance."

 

And he meant it. It was time to stop that criminal who destroyed Blaine’s life and make everything better again. They could make it. He believed in that.

 

~ o ~

 

The music was too loud, the crowd too big, the air hot and suffocating. Kurt didn’t feel well at all. He didn’t want to be here. He had made himself a promise not to let anything ruin this night but he couldn’t stop thinking about Danny and how much he must have missed him. It was such a horrible idea. He should have been home with his child, alone, not let his friends do his job. He knew Danny too well, he knew that the boy didn’t need this night away from home, spending it with other children. He knew that Danny only wanted to be home with him and he felt awful for leaving his child behind. Maybe he should stay here for a while and then go back to Jeff and Nick. Maybe he could make it before midnight and greet the new year with his family. Yes, that was what he had to do.

 

"Come on, Kurt. You haven’t even touched your drink" Rachel said.

 

"I’m not in the mood" Kurt said as he pushed his glass away.

 

"We are having fun, remember?" Rachel said as she pushed the glass back into Kurt’s hand.

 

"I’m fine. I don’t need alcohol to have fun" Kurt said.

 

"Oh, you certainly do" Mercedes said. "Drink."

 

Kurt sighed and took a sip of his cocktail.

 

"Better?" he asked.

 

"Just relax" Tina said. "Danny is fine. You can trust Nick and Jeff."

 

"Aren’t you worried that something might happen to Emma while we are here?" Kurt asked.

 

"No" Tina said immediately.

 

"Not at all" Wes said in agreement. "They’ve managed to keep their kids alive for so long, so I guess we can trust them to keep our children safe for one night."

 

"That’s right" Tina nodded. "It’s not like anything could happen to them."

 

Kurt bit his lower lip and decided not to point out how fast things could go wrong without any of them noticing anything. He didn’t want to ruin the others’ fun. He just had to find an excuse to leave earlier...

 

"Five more minutes" Rachel said as she checked the time on her watch.

 

"Until what?" Kurt asked.

 

"The concert" Rachel said.

 

"Oh, right" Kurt nodded. "Do you know the band?"

 

"Of course" Mercedes said before she could stop herself.

 

"Really?" Kurt asked in surprise.

 

"Oh, Quinn texted me" Tina said quickly. They couldn’t tell Kurt anything too early. He had to be here when Blaine stepped onto the stage and she was worried that her friend would freak out and leave if they told him anything. "She’s… Well, she isn’t too happy that we forgot to invite her."

 

"She’s pregnant" Rachel snorted. "She shouldn’t be here. It’s not good for the baby."

 

"Yeah, that’s what I told her" Tina said. "I don’t think she’s fine with it."

 

"She can come with us the next time. This night isn’t about her. I thought that Puck talked to her" Mercedes said.

 

"Why? Just because she’s pregnant? We should have made another program and thought about her, too. Poor Quinn. I feel so bad now" Kurt sighed.

 

"Ah, don’t be. She’ll understand that it was necessary" Mercedes said.

 

"Why?" Kurt frowned.

 

His friends looked at each other, none of them knowing what to say. Luckily, they didn’t have to say anything because Puck stepped onto the stage, followed by the other members of the band.

 

"It’s time" Rachel said excitedly.

 

Kurt turned towards the stage and turned pale in a second. He didn’t need much time to notice Blaine, standing right beside Puck on the stage. He looked at his friends next who seemed awfully guilty.

 

"It’s the Puckers’ concert!" he hissed. "You knew about this?"

 

"No?" Rachel offered.

 

"I can’t believe you did this to me" Kurt shook his head, considering to leave. It was such a horrible idea. If Ethan figured out how he spent this night… But maybe he wouldn’t. It was all innocent, right? Besides, his friends only wanted the best for him. And Blaine looked so hot. Kurt loved that jacket. And he did something to his hair, too. It looked a lot less chaotic than usually, it was shorter and it must have been so silky…

 

Kurt shook his head and deciding to calm his nerves, he emptied his glass in record time.

 

"I need another drink" he said.

 

"Are you sure?" Tina asked in concern.

 

"Definitely" Kurt said.

 

"Just a second" Rachel said and quickly disappeared with Mercedes to get them other drinks.

 

Kurt carefully tried to avoid Blaine, he looked at his friends instead but they chose that exact moment to get lost in each other’s mouth. Kurt sighed and turned away. It looked like all of his friends were working against him. Maybe they really were. He just didn’t know why.

 

He turned back to the stage and looked at Blaine. Blaine wouldn’t have done that to him, not at all. Blaine was always so nice to him, even after their breakup, and he was a wonderful father. Kurt missed him so much. He knew that Blaine was perfect for him and it was so hard to stop himself from walking up onto that stage and give Blaine a kiss like the one they had shared in Lima. Oh, that kiss. Kurt couldn’t stop thinking about it. He had no idea why it was so important but it made staying away from Blaine so much harder. Especially when he looked so hot… Kurt sighed heavily as he watched the other man on the stage, pretty sure that he would die of heartache soon if things didn’t change for better. He had been such an idiot to think that he could get over Blaine. He had lied to anybody else but he couldn’t fool himself. He would never be over Blaine.

 

He wondered if he could have done things differently. If he hadn’t been too scared to ask for help, if he had been strong enough to tell Blaine anything and trust him enough to let him help. Maybe they would have stayed together, maybe Ethan would have made a mistake and Blaine, the most clever man Kurt knew, would have caught him for sure. Now he could have been here as Blaine’s boyfriend, no, his fiancé. Who knew, maybe Danny could have been here with him for a short time, too, to see Blaine perform. Maybe his son would have gotten out of his depression a lot faster if he had had his whole family to support him the way he needed it.

 

Kurt felt like he had to do something. It was definitely the effect of the alcohol, it had to be it because normally he didn’t think about such things. Normally he knew that he had made the best decision he could and he wouldn’t have done things differently, even if he had had a choance. Because no matter how much he loved Blaine, Danny was always the most important. And there was only one way to keep him safe, if Kurt did as he was told. If he stayed away from Blaine.

 

But it was getting so hard… He felt like he would die if he had to stay away from Blaine. He had thought that he could do it, that he was strong enough but he just couldn’t. This moment was enough to prove that. Blaine kept his eyes on him as if he was playing for Kurt alone and Kurt was unable to turn his head away. Yes, Blaine was playing for him. Just like in the good old days. It felt like they were all alone, Kurt didn’t see or hear anybody else anymore, his focus was completely on Blaine.

 

"Here are the drinks" Rachel said loudly as she and Mercedes walked back to the others.

 

"Shh!" Tina hissed, motioning towards Kurt.

 

"Oh" Rachel said when she realized what was going on. She put the glasses down and leaned against the table as she watched Kurt, completely lost in his thoughts. Or better the sight of Blaine playing for him. It wasn’t hard to notice that Blaine kept his eyes on Kurt the entire time.

 

"Aren’t they sweet?" Tina sighed as she turned to her husband.

 

Wes nodded. He wanted to share his wife’s happiness but he was here to work after all. He kept his eyes on the crowd, searching for one exact man. David hadn’t seen the man outside but it didn’t mean he wasn’t here. He was a clever man, maybe he used another way. He had to be careful and make sure his friends were safe.

 

The band stopped playing for a minute. Puck drank some water and then turned back to their audience. He glanced at Blaine briefly but his friend was still lost in his own little word. It looked like it was time for their surprise. He motioned for the other members of the band and then turned to the crowd again.

 

"We have a surprise for you, guys" he said. "I know you all miss Blaine’s voice since he hasn’t sung for you for a very long time. So he wrote a new song and you’ll be the first to hear it tonight. Enjoy!"

 

"Puck, what are you doing?" Blaine hissed into his ear.

 

"You wanted Kurt to hear your song" Puck shrugged.

 

"Yes, but only him" Blaine said desperately. "I don’t want anybody else hear it. It’s a private thing."

 

"Oh, shit, I screwed up" Puck said, seemingly not too concerned. "Too bad I can’t take it back. The crowd wants you, Anderson."

 

"But I…"

 

Puck motioned the band to start playing the song they had secretly practiced when Blaine hadn’t been around, giving Blaine no more time to protest. Blaine forced out a small smile as he stepped to the microphone, making himself a mental note to make Puck pay for this later. He knew his friend too well to know that it wasn’t a coincidence. No, Puck did it on purpose. But it was too late. Although Blaine wanted to wait for the right second to share this song with Kurt, he had to do it now. Who knew, maybe Kurt understood the message even if the place wasn’t right. He had to.

 

So Blaine took a deep breath, looked straight at Kurt and began to sing.

 

_Shadows fill an empty heart_ __  
_As love is fading_ __  
_From all the things that we are_ __  
_But are not saying_ __  
_Can we see beyond the stars_ _  
_ _And make it to the dawn?_

 

Kurt was still watching him. His eyes wide, barely breathing, unable to look away. That was why Blaine didn’t want audience for this song. He wanted to be totally honest with Kurt and show him everything. His fears, his love, everything. He wanted to tell Kurt everything and give him a chance to change his mind. He just hoped that it would happen. He couldn’t let Kurt say no again. It would be too much.

 

_Change the colors of the sky_ __  
_And open up to_ __  
_The ways you made me feel alive_ __  
_The ways I loved you_ __  
_For all the things that never died_ __  
_To make it through the night_ __  
_Love will find you_ __  
  
_What about now?_ __  
_What about today?_ __  
_What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?_ __  
_What if our love never went away?_ __  
_What if it's lost behind words we could never find?_ __  
_Baby, before it's too late_ _  
_ _What about now?_

 

They had great success, especially his song. Blaine still didn’t pay attention. He watched Kurt the whole time who seemed to be frozen, although their friends kept talking to him. He just kept watching Blaine. Blaine had no idea what Kurt thought about the song, not until he was back to his dressing room and heard a soft knock. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Kurt standing there.

 

"Kurt?" he asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I still love you" Kurt said simply and pushed Blaine to the wall, his lips attacking Blaine’s.

 

_The sun is breaking in your eyes_ __  
_To start a new day_ __  
_This broken heart can still survive_ __  
_With a touch of your grace_ __  
_Shadows fade into the light_ __  
_I am by your side_ _  
_ _Where love will find you_

 

Blaine had no idea how they made it back to their old shared home. He just remembered carrying Kurt upstairs and slowly lowering him onto the bed before climbing between his legs. _  
  
__What about now?_ _  
__What about today?_ _  
__What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?_ _  
__What if our love, it never went away?_ _  
__What if it's lost behind words we could never find?_ _  
__Baby, before it's too late_ _  
__What about now?_

 

A small voice in his head told him that they should stop and discuss this before going too far too soon but he didn’t listen to it. How could he? Kurt wanted him. Nothing else mattered. _  
  
__Now that we're here_ _  
__Now that we've come this far_ _  
__Just hold on_ _  
__There is nothing to fear_ _  
__For I am right beside you_ _  
__For all my life_ _  
__I am yours_

 

He didn’t say anything at all. He didn’t want to ruin the moment when it was so perfect. Just the two of them and their love. God, Blaine missed this so much. And he wanted to make up for every single lost moment. They deserved it. _  
  
__What about now?_ _  
__What about today?_ _  
__What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?_ _  
__What if our love never went away?_ _  
__What if it's lost behind words we could never find?_

 

Kurt was perfect. He was still beautiful, his hot body just as willing as the first time they had shared their bed with each other, his lips delicious like nothing else in the world. _  
  
__What about now?_ _  
__What about today?_ _  
__What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?_ _  
__What if our love never went away?_ _  
__What if it's lost behind words we could never find?_ __  


Blaine felt like a teenager again. Just one move and he felt like he could come in any second. But he forced himself to last longer. For Kurt. This night had to be perfect for Kurt.

 

_Baby, before it's too late_

 

Those small noises he made… It drove Blaine crazy. He kissed Kurt again and reached down to stroke his cock. He wanted Kurt to come first. This night was all about him.

_  
__Baby, before it's too late_ __  


There was no sign of fear in his eyes. Kurt was completely relaxed and just enjoyed the moment. And when he came, that small cry was the most beautiful sound Blaine had ever heard. Just one more second and he followed his love, the pleasure blinding him for a few long moments.

 

_Baby, before it's too late_ _  
_

He pulled Kurt into his arms and closed his eyes. There was a long conversation following this night, he was pretty sure that there was and he couldn’t be sure if he would like what Kurt wanted to say. But not now. Now everything was perfect and he just wanted to enjoy moment. Kurt didn’t seem like he wanted to say anything either. He kept his eyes closed and leaned his head on Blaine’s chest like he usually did. Blaine tightened his arms around him and pushed his worrisome thoughts to the back of his mind. They still had a few hours for themselves. That was all that mattered in that moment. That they were together and they were happy. Everything else could wait.

 

_What about now?_


	30. Chapter 30

Kurt moaned happily as he drifted awake. He felt so well-rested, so warm and safe and perfect. Everything was perfect. He wanted to laugh, to dance and sing. He wanted to let the world know that he was the happiest person alive. He had no idea why he felt that way. Something deep inside told him that it wasn’t okay but he didn’t care in that moment. Because he was so happy.

He sighed and pressed his nose to the solid, warm chest under his head, inhaling deeply. This sweet scent was so familiar. It calmed his nerves, just like the steady heartbeat of the other person. Wait a second… Other person?

Kurt opened his eyes wide as he jumped up. It didn’t take him long to realize that the person lying in the bed beside him was no other than…

Oh. Dear. God.

"Good morning" Blaine greeted him happily.

Kurt was panicking. He was naked, in the same bed with the man he loved, the man he shouldn’t even be near him. God, what had he done? How could he be so stupid? Now he remembered everything from the previous night. He remembered hearing Blaine sing, he remembered that beautiful song and that he had had too many drinks and he had thought that admitting his feelings for Blaine would be a good idea… And then, they had done that. Here, in his room. In his home that wasn’t safe anymore. He had screwed up everything. He had been so careful and then he had just let his emotions drive him crazy and do the stupidest thing possible. He was such an idiot.

"I so missed this" Blaine said.

He was happy. Why was he so happy? It was wrong, so, so wrong. Blaine had to go, immediately. He had to tell him that it was a mistake, that...

"Hey, Kurt" Danny said suddenly as he walked into his room without knocking. "I’m home! I hope you are hungry because I’m making…"

Danny’s eyes landed on the two adults in the bed, Blaine whose lower side was luckily covered in the sheets and Kurt who quickly grabbed the other side of the material to cover as much of his naked body as possible. Danny’s eyes widened and he didn’t say anything for a long moment. He didn’t even move. Kurt was about to freak out more than before but then the boy squeaked in delight, a huge smile spreading out on his face.

"Hey, Blaine" he said.

"Hey, Danny" Blaine smiled.

"So you are…" Danny couldn’t stop smiling. "I’m so happy for you, guys!"

"No, Danny, this is just…"

"I’m making breakfast" Danny said. "Don’t worry, I’ll be in my room. I won’t bother you two."

"It’s not..."

"Happy New Year" Danny said before turning to leave just as quickly as he had come.

Kurt sighed heavily as he watched the now closed door. How he would explain this, he had no idea. Danny would surely hate him.

Blaine didn’t seem to understand how much trouble they were in. He didn’t seem to understand a thing at all. He put his arm around Kurt and pulled him close. His lips barely touched Kurt’s cheek when the man finally moved. He had to. One of them had to be reasonable and it looked like it was going to be him. Again.

"We can’t do this" Kurt said.

"Why not?" Blaine frowned.

"It was a mistake" Kurt said quickly.

"You are joking, right?" Blaine asked.

"Do I look like I’m joking?" Kurt asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I…"

"I can’t believe we did this…" Kurt said, now pacing in the room, unable to decide what to do. He had to tell Blaine to leave. Yes, that should be the first step. And then he could think about where to run with Danny before Ethan came for them. Oh, wait a second. That song… The leather jacket Kurt loved so much.

He turned to look at Blaine again.

"Why did you do this?" he asked.

"What?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"You tricked me into your bed" Kurt said.

"As I recall, it was you who attacked me in my dressing room first" Blaine pointed out.

"Only because I had a weak moment and you took advantage on me!" Kurt said.

"Excuse me?" Blaine asked. "Don’t act like you didn’t want this. You told Jeff that you would be there because you knew that he would tell me and I would be ready for…"

"I didn’t even know that it was your concert!" Kurt shouted.

They were silent for a long moment. They needed some time to realize that...

"Jeff" Blaine groaned in the end.

"Yeah" Kurt sighed.

Silence, again.

"But…"

"No buts. It was a mistake" Kurt said. "You have to leave now."

"What? No!" Blaine said. He climbed out of the bed and walked to Kurt, grabbing his hands. "I won’t let you do this again. Not anymore. You still love me and I’ll fight for us."

"There’s no us!" Kurt shouted. "Why don’t you understand? We can’t be together!"

"Why…"

"Because that’s not what I want!"

Blaine was hurt. He didn’t say anything but Kurt could see it in his eyes. 

"Just go. Please" Kurt whispered.

Blaine grabbed his clothes from the ground and quickly pulled them on. When he was done, he stepped to Kurt again and grabbed his chin to make him look at him.

"I won’t let it go so easily" Blaine said seriously. "You can’t lie to me forever. Or for yourself. You have to admit for yourself that this is what you want, too. Call me when you are ready."

Kurt sighed heavily as he watched Blaine leave. Damn, it was harder than before. He wanted to go after him so badly but he knew that he couldn’t. He was lucky if he survived this, he couldn’t do such a mistake again. How could he be so stupid? Now he had to figure out what to do, fast. He had to keep his son safe.

~ o ~

The four men watched each other in silence. They had no idea where things had gone wrong. They had planned everything perfectly, down to the smallest details. There was only one problem...

"So he never showed up" Nick sighed.

"No" David muttered. "I can’t believe I spent the whole night in that car for nothing."

"I’m sorry" Wes said.

"It’s not like you had anything else to do" Jeff pointed out.

"Thanks" David glared at him.

"Come on, guys, we have to figure out what to do" Nick said. "There has to be a way to find him…"

"We tried everything" Jeff said. "Seriously. That was my last idea."

"You mean my idea" David said.

"It doesn’t matter" Jeff waved him down.

They fell silent again, unable to decide what to do next. This case was just… It was too much. They were the best people possible to find that guy but it looked like Ethan was smarter than them. 

"He must have figured out that we were waiting for him…"

"How?" Wes asked as he turned to David.

"I don’t know. How does he watch Kurt and Danny?" David asked back.

"He follows them…"

"We went through the recordings. He was never there at Danny’s school or the studio, not to mention the house. We would have seen him" David said.

"Well, there is another explanation" Nick muttered.

"What do you have in your mind, honey?" Jeff asked.

"If you were rich, would you do the hard work on your own?" Nick asked him.

Jeff raised an eyebrow as he looked at his husband. That was exactly what they were doing. Sitting in their expensive home they could afford themselves thanks to their successful business, searching for a ghost on their own.

"This one is different" Nick said.

"Of course, my dear" Jeff smiled.

"Seriously, would you take on any other job? Like moving in with a nameless actress who loves touching your abs…"

"Oh, no. Don’t remind me on that" David said quickly. 

"I get it, really" Jeff said, knowing that there were cases none of them wanted to remember. Especially David and him who usually enjoyed the attention of those crazy chicks. "So he sent his men after Kurt and Danny."

"That’s the only explanation" Nick said.

"That’s great because we can find them if we go through the recordings again" Wes said excitedly.

"Yeah. If we go through weeks of recordings, checking every single person who appears more than once at the house, like the mailman, not to mention the other places Kurt and Danny visited…"

"It’s going to be a long day" Wes sighed.

"You mean long days" Jeff said. "Okay, who wants a coffee?"

"I think all of us" David said.

"Of course" Jeff nodded and walked out of the room to get their coffees. As they waited for him to return, Nick turned to Wes.

"Are you sure Tina can take care of the kids?" Nick asked in concern.

"Don’t worry. Rachel and Mercedes promised to stay in the city for a few days to help us" Wes said. "I think the three of them is enough to take care of the kids, even if it’s about your triplets."

"So I should call them?" Nick asked after a second.

"Definitely" Wes nodded.

Nick walked out of the room as well and only came back a few minutes later, seemingly worried.

"What’s wrong?" David asked.

"Sometimes I wonder why I have kids with someone like Jeff" Nick said, rubbing his forehead.

"It can’t be that bad…" Wes started.

"Tina says that you have to work hard to make up for this" Nick said.

"Oh" Wes muttered.

"It looks like it’s that bad" David smiled.

"Okay, guys, here is your coffee" Jeff said as he walked back into the room with four mugs. "I hope it won’t take us too long."

"Sweet dreams, Jeff" David said.

"At least Blaine and Kurt have a better time together" Jeff sighed. "It is true that they… you know…"

"You mean that Kurt went after him to his dressing room and then they left together?" Wes asked.

"Or that they spent the night together?" David continued.

"Yeah. That’s what I meant" Jeff nodded.

"I heard that they had a great time" David smiled.

"Oh, they are so lucky" Jeff sighed. "I remember that time when our relationship was still fresh. Everything seemed so great, we were so in love and…"

Jeff fell silent as his eyes landed on his husband who was silently watching him but his expression told him a lot. Like that he would sleep on the couch that night if he didn’t stop immediately.

"I love you" Jeff said quickly.

"So you enjoyed being with me a lot more at the beginning" Nick said.

Jeff knew he had to be careful with his words. He really didn’t want to sleep on the couch.

"It’s not like I don’t like being with you now but…"

He screwed up. He knew the second Nick turned away from him.

"I think we should start working" Nick said. "It’s not like we have much time, especially if Ethan knows about last night."

"Nicky…"

"I’ll go through the recordings around Kurt’s house" Nick said and turned to his computer to start working, acting like his husband wasn’t there at all.

"Hey, Jeff" Wes whispered. "When your husband asks something like that, you don’t go into explanations. Just nod and tell him how much you love him."

"That’s right" David nodded. "Everybody knows how to do it."

"Well, I didn’t" Jeff said.

"Someone will sleep on the couch tonight…"

"We won’t sleep at all if you don’t start working. Right now" Nick said seriously.

"Yes, dear" Jeff said quickly. He loved when Nick was so bossy but he knew not to point it out now. His husband definitely wouldn’t appreciate it. Maybe later when everything was fine again and he had a chance to make him a hot bath with candles and music and...

"Jeff, now, please" Nick said again.

"Okay" Jeff sighed and turned to the screen. This day was going to be so long.

~ o ~

Kurt opened the door of the kitchen and carefully peeked inside. He had gathered his courage after watching Blaine leave, he had given himself some time to prepare himself to face Danny before actually coming downstairs. He felt horrible and it became a lot worse as he watched his son, singing and dancing happily while preparing their breakfast. Danny would hate him for sending Blaine away again. He would yell at him, he would probably go back to his room and never talk to Kurt ever again. God, he was the most horrible father of the world. Danny tried so hard to be normal again and he just pulled him back. He didn’t only lie to him, several times, he did everything he could to ruin his relationship with Blaine. It was perfectly understandable if Danny didn’t want to talk to him after this. He would surely ask Kurt to let him move to Blaine. No, he would just pack his things and leave. Danny was strong enough to make his own decisions and Kurt couldn’t blame him if he decided to live with Blaine after this. Kurt wasn’t good enough to take care of him anymore. He still had to find a good explanation because he couldn’t let Danny leave. No, that couldn’t happen. Danny was safe with him, at least until Kurt stayed sober and didn’t make another mistake. If he was lucky and he hoped that he was, he would get out of this unhurt. He had to. A lot time passed since the previous night after all and Ethan hadn’t called him, so Kurt started to believe that everything would be fine. Who knew, maybe Ethan wasn’t after them anymore. Maybe he had stopped watching them, only Kurt didn’t know about it and now he was just...

"Oh, hey" Danny said as he turned around and noticed Kurt standing at the door. "Breakfast is almost ready. Come on, sit down."

"Danny…"

"I hope you are hungry" Danny said as he placed the food onto the table he had set carefully. For three people. "I didn’t know what you would like to eat, so I made eggs, toast, pancakes..."

"Danny…"

"Oh, you want to be alone. Of course" Danny said. "I’ll just take this upstairs, okay? I won’t disturb anything."

"Danny…"

"Is Blaine coming?" Danny asked.

"No" Kurt said finally. "He already left."

Danny grabbed the edge of the table for support. Kurt quickly stepped to him when he saw how pale the boy was, afraid that he might faint. Oh, God, how could he do this to his only child?

"I think you should sit down" Kurt said.

"Why?" Danny asked. "But you are together again…"

"No. We aren’t" Kurt said quietly.

"But I saw..."

"What you saw was a mistake of two adults who had too many drinks the previous night" Kurt said. "We regretted it once we woke up."

"But you seemed so happy" Danny said. Kurt turned his head away, unable to look into the boy’s eyes. He felt betrayed. Of course he felt like that, Danny wanted nothing but to see his parents back together. And Kurt ruined everything… Again.

"I told him to leave" Kurt said in the end. Danny deserved to know the truth. At least about that morning. "I-I know it was a horrible mistake. I have no idea how it happened but I know that we shouldn’t have done that. I know this is not what you want…"

"I don’t want to hear this" Danny said as he pushed himself up.

"Danny, I’m so sorry" Kurt sighed. 

"Why are you doing this?" Danny shouted suddenly. "I’m a kid but I’m not stupid. I can see how you look at him."

"You know nothing" Kurt said.

"Oh, really?" Danny shot back. "Then tell me the real reason why you two can’t be together."

"Because…" Kurt sighed in frustration. What could he say? "Look, it’s really complicated…"

"We have to whole day. You can explain everything" Danny said.

"I just want to keep you safe!" Kurt shouted.

There was something in his voice, maybe the desperation, that reminded Danny on something. A night when everything seemed so blurry. He had had flashbacks of that night before but now it was all clear. He remembered lying in the back of a car, no, a van, for a very long time. He remembered that he had been all alone and he had been so scared. He couldn’t move. They had done something to him and he couldn’t sit up but he wanted to. Then they had stopped and he had been scared that they would kill him. But it never happened. He had heard a familiar voice and he had been dragged out of the van then. Kurt had been running towards him but he had been caught. Ethan had held him back and told him to stay away from Blaine or else he would hurt Danny. And then Kurt’s arms around him… He had felt safe again.

"Danny?" Kurt asked uncertainly as he stepped to the boy. Danny seemed like he was frozen for seconds. Kurt was scared that something was wrong with him, so he grabbed Danny’s shoulders and shook him. "Danny!"

Danny’s eyes widened as if he was surprised to find Kurt there and quickly took a step back. 

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked in concern.

Danny opened his mouth but nothing came out. He had never looked at Kurt like this. It seemed like he was scared of him. Kurt started to worry that Danny had flashbacks again like he had had with Blaine or in the school and he didn’t know who he really was.

"Danny, it’s me" Kurt said slowly. 

"I know" Danny said.

"Are you alright? You seem like…"

"I-I have to go" Danny said quickly. "I’ll be in my room."

"But…"

"Just leave me alone. Please" Danny said.

He stormed out of the room before Kurt could say anything. The man reached out towards the boy as he disappeared from his sight, he considered going after him but then he decided not to. He knew Danny enough, if he wanted to be alone, he wouldn’t even let him step into his room.

Kurt walked back to the table and sighed as he watched the food Danny had prepared for them. He had made a great job with it because he wanted to make them happy. Both of them. And Kurt had ruined everything. He wished he could turn back time, right before Danny had disappeared and change things, so he could avoid that decision he had made in that alley. He knew exactly how Danny felt. It became worse and worse with every single day. He felt like he was suffocating, like it was the end of everything and things would never be fine again. He wanted to get Blaine back so badly.

"What should I do?" he asked, hoping that he would get the answer he needed so much.

But there was no one to answer his question.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I'm finally home, my family is over a horrible stomach bug, so I think I might update my stories more frequently. At least I hope so.:)  
> I hope you like this chapter.

Danny felt like he was going crazy. After the conversation he had had with Kurt in the kitchen the other day, he didn’t have a single moment of peace. Those horrible images kept haunting him, not giving him a single moment. He couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t do anything at all because they came in the worst moments and he could do nothing to get rid of them.

It made everything clear. He had no idea how he could forget about these important details. He had remembered them once, when he had been with Blaine after his panic attack in the school’s bathroom but he had forgotten about them somehow. Now they were back again, a lot clearer than before. Now he remembered everything down to the smallest details. 

And he wasn’t sure he could deal with it.

"Please, stop" he moaned and pressed his hands to his head to make his memories go away.

It didn’t help at all.

He had no idea what to do. He knew everything, he knew that he had to get help but he wasn’t sure where to start. Should he talk to Kurt? Or go to Blaine immediately? What would be the best? He knew for sure that he had to talk about this with someone, he just didn’t know who would be the best choice. Blaine would surely know what to do but he felt like he should talk to Kurt first. He was afraid of what the man would say, though. He remembered that Kurt had lied to him, several times, even when Danny had asked him about that alley. Kurt had acted like it wasn’t true. But now Danny knew everything and he couldn’t let it go. No.

He sat up and looked around. He was alone in his room, for the first time since that morning. He didn’t see shadows that weren’t there anymore, it was just him. He forced the images to the back of his mind and tried to think reasonably. He had to call for help. He also had to discuss this with Kurt because what he was doing was crazy and Kurt had to understand that. Maybe it would be the best to talk to him first and make him see that they needed Blaine. More than ever. Maybe Kurt didn’t understand how dangerous this situation was. Danny knew. He knew Ethan, he knew that he loved these stupid games he played with everyone and he also knew that Ethan was out there and he would come for them again. He had to do something.

He had to talk to Kurt.

Unfortunately, Kurt wasn’t home. He was working if he was correct, they had talked briefly that morning and Kurt hadn’t come back since then. He could call him…

Danny shook his head. He had to talk to Kurt but he had to wait until he came home from work. They had to sit down and discuss everything. Kurt would surely try to find a way out, he would try to convince him again that he was crazy. But Danny wouldn’t let it go so easily, not this time. He would make Kurt tell him everything and he would make him see what they had to do now.

They had to tell Blaine.

And that was exactly what he would do, whether Kurt wanted it or not.

~ o ~

Blaine was confused. He had thought that Kurt was ready to be with him again, he had admitted how he felt after all and they had had an amazing night together. But then, in the morning, Kurt had acted like it was the biggest mistake he had ever done. It didn’t make much sense. Okay, he was surely scared of Ethan but he also knew that Blaine loved him and he would protect them from everything. Blaine considered going back and not letting Kurt send him away again but he had concerns. Kurt had made it clear that Ethan wasn’t the only reason behind their breakup and Blaine was afraid that if he overstepped, he would lose Kurt again. He had to be very careful but it was so hard when Kurt didn’t talk to him. 

"Hey" Jeff said as he stepped into his office.

Finally. Blaine had called his friend so many times but Jeff had never answered his calls. He had started to be worried when Jeff had finally called him back.

"Where the hell have you been?" Blaine asked.

"What’s wrong?" Jeff frowned.

"Sit down" Blaine said.

Okay, maybe he shouldn’t have this conversation with Jeff right now but he was so frustrated and confused. He had to talk to someone.

"Am I in trouble?" Jeff asked.

"You tell me" Blaine said.

"It wasn’t my idea" Jeff said quickly.

"You mean you weren’t the one who tricked me and Kurt on New Year’s Eve?" Blaine asked. "Because as I recall, it was you who told me that Kurt wanted to see me perform. Because he missed my voice. I talked to Kurt and guess what?"

"He loved your voice?" Jeff offered.

"He kicked me out" Blaine said.

"Ouch" Jeff grimaced. "I’m sorry, Blaine. I thought he would take you back now that you…"

The way Blaine looked at him made Jeff fell silent immediately.

"It wasn’t my idea" Jeff said again.

"So you know everything, right?" Blaine asked.

"I might have heard that you had a great time together if that’s what you mean…"

"Why did you do that?" Blaine asked.

"Because we wanted to help you two get back together" Jeff explained. "You were so unhappy and we…"

"You had no right to do this" Blaine said.

"We just wanted to help" Jeff said. 

"And how did you want to do that? You thought that one night would solve our problem?" Blaine asked.

"Not exactly" Jeff said. "We thought that Ethan would be there and we could catch him. Unfortunately, the guy never showed up, so we…"

"What?" Blaine asked with wide eyes.

"I know" Jeff sighed. "We planned everything so carefully. I have no idea where it…"

"Wait a second. We? You mean all of you?" Blaine asked.

"Yes?" Jeff asked back.

"Are you out of your mind?" Blaine shouted.

"Hey! We just wanted to help you and…"

"I already told you to stay out of this! Don’t you know how dangerous it can be? Do you want to lose your family, too, or what?" Blaine asked.

"Blaine, you are our friend. Did you honestly think that we would let you down?" Jeff asked.

"You can get hurt!" Blaine shouted desperately.

"And then what? It’s not like we didn’t get hurt before..."

"It’s different" Blaine said.

"No, it’s not" Jeff said seriously. "See? You can’t think reasonably. You need us. You won’t catch the guy on your own. He’s too smart and you…"

"I manage on my own, thanks" Blaine said.

"Oh, really?" Jeff asked. "Then you don’t need this."

He showed Blaine the folder he held in his hand.

"What is it?" Blaine asked.

"The people who work for him" Jeff said. "We figured out that he sent his men after Kurt and Danny to watch them. And we were right. Nick’s searching for them. If we can find any of these guys…"

"They’ll lead us to Ethan" Blaine muttered. Of course. It was so easy, why hadn’t he thought about it before?

"We are close, Blaine" Jeff said quietly.

Blaine didn’t know what to say. After months of desperation, they finally had something, they were so close to find Ethan and catch him for once and for all. He wanted to cry. He would never do that in front of anyone, though, so he simply stepped to Jeff and hugged him.

"I love you" he said.

"I love you, too" Jeff laughed. "Now step back, please. Nick should be here in any second and believe me, you don’t want him to find us like this."

Blaine stepped back, laughing. He was so happy in that moment. He couldn’t wait to tell Kurt the news. He was so close to fix things with him, it was just the matter of hours or maybe a few days. And then everything would be fine again.

~ o ~

Kurt was worried that Danny wasn’t feeling well again. He spent most of his time in his room and didn’t talk to him at all, unless it was necessary. Kurt had no idea what had happened, maybe Danny was still angry with him for sending Blaine away the other day. He didn’t understand it, especially the quick change in Danny’s behavior. It wasn’t like he wanted to fight, not at all, but Danny had finished their conversation so quickly that it made Kurt worried. He felt like something wasn’t right but it was hard to find out what exactly it was when Danny didn’t talk to him at all. He wished it was easier with a teenager. He wished he could talk to Danny like before, when he had been young and everything had been so much easier.

He walked upstairs that evening, hoping that he could convince Danny to have dinner with him. He was surprised when he found Danny’s door open and the boy waiting for him.

"Hey! Come in" Danny said.

Kurt frowned as he walked inside. It was too easy...

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked.

"I want to talk to you" Danny said. "Please, close the door."

That was definitely strange. Kurt shut the door and walked to the bed.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

"The night when you found me… Where exactly did it happen?" Danny asked.

"I already told you. You were lying just outside of the…"

"You mean they handed me over in that alley" Danny said.

Kurt opened his mouth but nothing came out. He wanted to lie again but the way Danny looked at him told him that it wouldn’t work this time.

"You remember" he said quietly.

"I do" Danny nodded.

"When…"

"The other morning when we had that fight in the kitchen" Danny explained. "I keep having flashbacks since then. Now I remember everything. I know what happened."

"Danny…"

"Don’t lie to me, please" Danny said. "I know the truth. And I know what we have to do."

He stood up and walked to the nightstand to grab his phone.

"I’ll call Blaine" he said.

"No!" Kurt said quickly.

"He has to know" Danny said.

He unlocked his phone and was about to call Blaine. Kurt couldn’t let that happen. Although Blaine knew a lot, he didn’t know everything and Kurt had to make sure Blaine never found out the most important details. It would ruin everything. He jumped up and grabbed Danny’s wrist.

"You won’t call him" Kurt said seriously.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked as he tried to pull his hand free.

He dropped the phone as Kurt grabbed both of his hands and pulled him away from the nightstand. Danny struggled to pull his hands free of Kurt’s grip but the man held him steadily. Kurt had no idea what happened to him. He knew deep inside that it was wrong but he was so scared of the consequences that he wanted to stop Danny, no matter how. He didn’t realize how wrong it was until he pushed the boy to the wall and held him there. Then he saw the fear in Danny’s eyes, something he had never experienced before and he let go immediately. 

Kurt stepped back, horrified by his own action. 

"What’s wrong with you?" Danny asked.

"Danny…"

Danny pushed himself away from the wall and stepped away from Kurt as the man made a move towards him. Kurt stopped immediately. He didn’t want to scare Danny more.

"Please, you have to listen to me" Kurt said. "We can’t tell Blaine. He can’t find out."

"He has to know" Danny said.

"We are all in danger" Kurt explained. "He would stay with us and then Ethan would come back because that’s exactly what he wants. He watches us. If I do anything out of order, he’ll come back and take you away from me again. We can’t let that happen."

"But…"

"Honey, you have to trust me" Kurt said. Danny finally let him near and Kurt quickly pulled him into his arms. He knew that Danny needed him. "I know this isn’t what you want but we have to be very careful. We don’t have a choice. We have to make sure Blaine never finds out what happened that night."

Danny pushed him away again and stepped away from Kurt, towards the door.

"Danny…"

"Just leave me alone. Please" Danny said.

"Please, don’t go" Kurt said.

"I’ll be downstairs" Danny said. "Just… Stay away from me."

"Danny…"

The boy walked out of the room before Kurt could stop him again. Kurt sighed, considering to go after him but he decided not to in the end. Danny wouldn’t talk to him anyway and he didn’t want to make things worse.

Danny walked down the stairs, unable to decide what to do. His first thought was to run but he still remembered how badly it had ended the last time. Although those monsters weren’t out there anymore, there was something a lot worse. Danny collapsed onto the couch in the end, still shaking from the happenings upstairs. It was the first time he was scared of Kurt. The man had been always so sweet and caring, he had never done anything to hurt him. Until this day. He rubbed his wrist where Kurt had held him. It was frightening to know that Kurt was capable of such things. It was Kurt after all. But since Ethan had taken him, Kurt had changed a lot. Danny was afraid that something was very wrong with him and in that case, he had to talk to Blaine. 

He turned towards the stairs again, listening to possible noises. He had left his phone upstairs and had to get it back but Kurt couldn’t see him. He didn’t want another fight or give Kurt a chance to talk to him again. Whatever Kurt said, they needed Blaine. Right now. And Danny would call him.

That was when he noticed the silence. It wasn’t surprising that Kurt stayed upstairs, he surely knew that Danny didn’t want to see him right now. But Danny couldn’t see or hear anybody else. It was definitely strange. They had been loud, their bodyguards must have heard them and Danny knew them enough to know that they would have checked on them. 

"Brad! Jerry!" he called out.

Silence. Danny pushed himself up from the couch. He had to check if everything was alright. He hoped that the bodyguards were just outside and couldn’t hear him but… Okay, he was scared. And he had every right to be after his conversation with Kurt. Now he definitely wanted to have Blaine around.

He took the first step towards the kitchen when his eyes landed on a way too familiar figure. He was pretty sure that his heart stopped in that moment. Because standing right there in front of him was the cause of his nightmares from the previous weeks. The man who had made his life hell, who haunted him day and night, way after coming home.

"Hello, Danny" Ethan smiled at him.

Danny shook his head and took a step backwards. No, he couldn’t be here. It was just a hallucination again. It had to be one.

"No, you’re not hallucinating" Ethan smiled as he took a step towards him.

"Stay there!" Danny shouted when he finally found his voice.

"Shh" Ethan said. "You have to be quiet."

They were supposed to be safe...

"Hey, calm down. I won’t hurt you if you do as I tell you. Remember?" Ethan said quietly. "Come here."

Kurt. Kurt was upstairs and he had no idea what was going on down here. He had to do something. He had to let Kurt know that they were in danger.

"Don’t play with me, Danny" Ethan said slowly. "Come. Here."

The boy looked at the stairs. Ethan was strong and fast but maybe he was faster. Maybe he should make it to the stairs before the man caught him.

"I wouldn’t do that" Ethan warned him.

He had no idea what he would do if he reached Kurt but he didn’t care. He had to warn Kurt, that was the most important. Kurt surely knew what to do.

Danny turned around without wasting any more time and ran towards the stairs as fast as he could. He was almost there when he was grabbed from behind and pushed to the wall the second time that night. 

"Stupid boy" Ethan hissed into his ear as he gripped Danny’s hair and pulled his head back. 

Danny struggled to break free but then the man grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Danny went still immediately. He remembered what it was like when Mick had broken his arm. He couldn’t go through that again. He couldn’t.

"Now stay still or you’ll regret it" Ethan said.

"Leave him alone!"

Danny sighed in relief when he saw Kurt, slowly walking down the stairs. Kurt who had a gun in his hands. Danny had no idea where he had gotten it but he so didn’t care. Kurt had a gun. Ethan had him but he seemingly didn’t have any weapon. He surely wasn’t stupid enough to let Kurt shoot him. He would let him go.

Unfortunately, Ethan only tightened his grip on him and laughed.

"An unexpected twist. I like it" he said.

Kurt took another step towards them.

"I don’t think you get it" he said. "Step away from my son, now, or I’ll shoot you."

There was someone else moving in the room. Danny recognized the huge man immediately. Mick slowly walked towards them, his eyes on Kurt. Kurt looked at him, too, only for a second, but it was enough for Ethan to change his hold on the boy. He let go of Danny’s hair and put an arm around him instead, pulling him close.

"It’s okay, Mick, we are just playing" Ethan said. "Kurt thinks he’s a big boy. See? He also have a gun."

Kurt didn’t know what to do. He kept the gun steadily but he was shaking inside. He was scared and his eyes told everyone in the room how he felt.

"Come on, Kurt. Shoot me" Ethan said. 

Danny didn’t move. He didn’t even breath. He was so scared. He knew that Kurt wouldn’t shoot, he wouldn’t risk his safety, but if he didn’t do anything… Danny didn’t want to know what would happen to them.

"I thought so" Ethan smiled. "Put it down."

Kurt hesitated for a long moment but he must have realized that he didn’t have a choice. He wouldn’t risk Danny’s safety, whatever it meant for him. He stepped forward, leaned down and put the gun onto the ground.

"Very good" Ethan nodded. "Now step back."

Kurt did as he was told. He took a few steps backwards and raised his hands.

Danny wasn’t ready for the next step. Probably none of them was. The men moved so fast that they didn’t have time to react. Ethan pushed him away, right into Mick’s waiting arms who quickly turned the boy around and held him down. Ethan didn’t even look at them. Now that his hands were free, he was striding right towards Kurt. He got to the man within a blink and punched him hard. 

"Kurt!" Danny screamed. He tried to break free but Mick held him steadily.

Ethan hit him again and Kurt fell to the ground, moaning in pain. He tried to defend himself by putting his arms in front of his chest but it didn’t help at all. Ethan kicked him, several times, until he was sure Kurt couldn’t stand up. Danny kept screaming in the background, desperate to break free and help his father. This couldn’t be happening… No, he had to get help or else Ethan would kill Kurt. He couldn’t lose his father…

Just when Danny was afraid that Ethan would end Kurt’s life, he finally stopped. They all fell silent as they watched the man on the ground. Kurt was struggling to breath, that was all he could do. He was in so much pain that he couldn’t move from the ground. Ethan crouched down beside him and grabbed his hair, pulling Kurt closer.

"I told you what would happen if you betrayed me" Ethan said. "Did you honestly think that I wouldn’t find out?"

He let go of Kurt and stood up. Danny felt sick when the man turned to look at him. He slowly walked to the gun, grabbed it and went to Danny.

"Do you know what happens to people who disobey me?" he asked from Danny. "I punish them."

He grabbed the barrel and raised the gun into the air. Danny tried to move away, especially since Mick was no longer holding him but he was too scared to do anything. Ethan, on the other hand, was too fast. He hit the boy with the gun, hard enough to make his forehead bleed. Danny didn’t see anything of that, though. The blow knocked him out and he collapsed at the man’s feet.

"Danny!" Kurt screamed.

As he saw his son collapse, he forgot about his own injuries. He could barely feel them anymore. His worry about his son was strong enough to suppress anything else, so he could push himself up enough to crawl towards the boy.

Ethan motioned Mick to do what he had to. The large man stepped behind Kurt before he could reach Danny, grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back.

"No…" Kurt said weakly.

"You are coming with us" Ethan said as he lifted the unconscious boy from the ground. "We have so much to do. Right, Kurt?"

"Leave him out of this, please" Kurt said desperately. Mick was already dragging him towards the door and to his horror, Ethan followed them with Danny in his arms.

"You knew it would happen" Ethan smiled. "You tried so hard to deny but you knew deep inside that I would find a reason to come back for you."

Kurt looked around desperately. Where were the bodyguards? Or anybody else. Somebody had to see them and get help before it was too late.

"I’ve prepared something interesting for you this time" Ethan said. "Believe me, you’ll love it."

Kurt closed his eyes, desperately trying not to cry. He failed so badly. He had tried nothing but to keep his son safe and still... It didn’t work. He had to find out what to do, fast. He knew it would end badly for him but he had to figure out how to save Danny. He had made the wrong decision back that night, now he knew it, but it was too late to do anything. He would die for sure. But he would save his son, no matter what he had to do.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I know you hate cliffhangers. This chapter is a longer one, so you don't have to wait to see what happens.  
> Warnings for violence, character deaths, etc.

"You are quiet."

Kurt simply ignored the other man and kept his eyes on his son, lying at his feet in the back of the van. It hadn’t been too long since they had left the house but Danny still didn’t make a move and it scared Kurt. It didn’t make anything better that his hands were chained to the back door of he van and he couldn’t reach Danny. He had tried, several times, when they had pushed them inside, when Ethan had joined them in the back of the van, when he had sat down so close to Danny or when he had reached out to pet the unconscious boy’s head. Ethan knew very well how it made Kurt feel, of course he did. He wanted to torture him and he knew exactly what to do to hurt the man the most.

Kurt tried to calm down, to think straight enough to form a plan. He didn’t know how much time he had or where they were heading. He had to find out what to do, fast, before anything could happen to Danny. He had to get the boy out of here, safely, that was the least he could do to make everything better. It was entirely his fault after all. He should have known that once he made a mistake, Ethan would be back and he wouldn’t spare Danny just to make Kurt feel a little less horrible.

Kurt looked at his son, his worry for him stronger than before. There was some dried blood on the left side of his head where Ethan had hit him and a huge, purple bump on his forehead. And he was still unconscious. Kurt was worried that Danny had a serious head injury and he wouldn’t wake up at all. Ethan had hit him really hard. It had been completely unnecessary. He wanted Kurt after all and Danny hadn’t meant any danger to him. It reminded Kurt what a horrible man Ethan was. Hurting an innocent child like this, his son on the top of that, that was something he would never forgive him.

"Oh, come on. I thought you would beg me or something" Ethan said when it became clear that Kurt wouldn’t talk to him.

Kurt didn’t even look at him. He knew Ethan was probably right, he should talk to him and find a good reason why he should let Danny go but his brain didn’t seem to work at all. Maybe because he was injured himself, although he barely felt anything of that. It had been so hard to breath at home but now all he felt was just some dull pain. Nothing he couldn’t deal with. It was a lot worse for Danny.

"No?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow. "I think I can make you talk if I…"

He reached out towards Danny again. His hand didn’t even touch the boy’s head as Kurt jumped forward.

"Stop!" Kurt shouted. "Don’t touch him!"

"What if I do?" Ethan smiled, running his fingers through Danny’s hair. "What does it feel like, Kurt? That you can do nothing to stop me."

"Just don’t hurt him. Please" Kurt said quietly.

"I told you what would happen if you let Blaine near again. You knew very well what you were doing when you let him into your bed that night" Ethan said.

"Does it matter? You would have come back anyway" Kurt said. "It was all a lie. You knew that you would break the deal if I didn’t."

"That’s right" Ethan shrugged. "I was getting bored of this game anyway. I was so glad when I saw you two leave the club."

"How did you do it?" Kurt asked.

"What?"

"Follow us" Kurt said. "You couldn’t be everywhere. You knew that Blaine was searching for you."

"I didn’t have to be near you at all" Ethan said. "Do you have any idea how many people work for me? And Blaine didn’t even thought about checking on them. He was too depressed to do anything. And now it’s too late."

Kurt closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He wanted to avoid this question but he had to know the answer.

"What are you going to do to us?" he asked.

"What do you think?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kurt opened his mouth to say something but he fell silent immediately as Danny moaned and slightly turned his head. Kurt moved closer to him, as close as the chains let him. Danny slowly opened his eyes but closed them a second later, hissing in pain.

"Danny? Honey, can you hear me?" Kurt asked in concern.

"Kurt…" Danny whispered.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked.

"My head" Danny moaned.

He finally opened his eyes again and they seemed a lot more focused this time. Kurt sighed in relief. Maybe it wasn’t that bad after all. Danny finally seemed to realize what was going on or at least remember what had happened to him. He gasped as his eyes landed on Kurt and quickly pushed himself up, but he almost fell back as nausea hit him.

"It’s nice of you that you finally joined us" Ethan said.

Danny moved faster than any of them expected. He quickly pushed himself away from Ethan, his eyes as wide as possible, shaking. 

"Oh, don’t be like that. Come here, kid" Ethan said.

"Stay beside me" Kurt said quickly.

"I don’t think you get it" Ethan said as he pulled out his gun and pointed it at Kurt. "Let’s try it again. Come here, Danny."

Danny took a deep breath and pushed himself up. Kurt wanted to grab his arm and pull him back but there was nothing he could do. He watched in silence as Danny moved closer to Ethan, slowly and carefully. When he was close enough to reach, Ethan grabbed his arm and pulled him close, then put his free arm around the boy.

"That’s it" he said. "It wasn’t that hard, was it?"

Danny simply watched him with wide eyes, still shaking.

"Now I have an offer for you" Ethan said. "I tried to come to an agreement with Kurt here while you were asleep but it looks like he doesn’t really understand what I could do to you."

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"Shh, I’m talking to your son" Ethan said and turned back to Danny. "You know I’m not a cruel man, right? I really don’t want to kill you. And you have a chance to save both of you."

"He’s lying" Kurt said. He had no idea what Ethan wanted with this but they had to be very careful.

"I told you to shut up" Ethan said. "So, Danny, I think I might have a solution. We had such a great time when you stayed with me. All you have to do is come with me and work for me. Say yes and I’ll let Kurt go."

"No!" Kurt shouted.

"Is-is it true?" Danny asked quietly.

"Of course" Ethan said sweetly. "I always keep my word. Say yes and I won’t bother Kurt ever again."

Danny looked at Kurt. He had no idea what to do, if he could trust Ethan. Sure, he was scared but if it was true, if he could save Kurt… He wanted to do that. He was pretty sure that Ethan would kill them both if he didn’t agree to go with him, probably make him watch Kurt die. He didn’t want that.

"I…"

"No!" Kurt screamed. "It’s just a trick, Danny! You can’t believe him."

"It’s not your decision to make" Ethan said.

"You are such a sick monster" Kurt spat.

"Am I?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow. "I’m trying to save you here."

"You are trying to force my son to take part in your sick games. I won’t let that happen!" Kurt shouted.

"Fine" Ethan sighed. "If that’s what you want…"

The van stopped and seconds later, the door was opened from outside, revealing Mick and a few other men outside of what looked like a warehouse.

"To be honest, I was hoping you would choose the hard way" Ethan said. "Let’s go inside, boys."

Danny pressed his eyes closed as the man dragged him out of the van. He screwed up. He should have said yes when he had had a chance but he was so scared, he couldn’t talk at all. And maybe Kurt was right, maybe it was just a cruel game… They couldn’t be sure. And they had no idea what was waiting for them inside.

~ o ~

Blaine moved quickly and quietly in the circle of his men. He was glad the Warblers worked so fast and now they were about to catch someone who worked for Ethan. The guy who had been following his family for weeks. If they were correct, this guy could lead them to Ethan. He had to. Blaine was tired of these games and wanted to stop Ethan for once and for all. He wanted to see Kurt and Danny smile again. He wanted everything back. And he would for sure. After this night.

He motioned his men to break in the door and tightened his grip on his gun. That was it. The guy was inside and there was no way to go for him. They already had him.

Once the door was open, he rushed inside, followed by David, Wes and a few more men. His best employees. This time Blaine made sure he didn’t make a mistake. Jeff and Nick should already be on the other side of the house, making sure no one escaped through the back door. 

It looked like they didn’t have to be afraid of that. As they walked into the living room, they found the man they were looking for. He was sitting on the couch when they arrived and didn’t seem surprised at all. Blaine frowned. He didn’t like this.

"Nice to meet you, Blaine Anderson" the man smiled. "You took your time. I thought you would come sooner."

"Where is he?" Blaine asked.

"Mr Harvey?" the guy asked.

"Of course" Blaine said impatiently. "You know where Ethan is. Tell me."

"He knew you would come" the man said, stretching his legs. 

Blaine definitely didn’t like how calm this guy was. Something wasn’t right. And they had to find out what it was, fast. He grabbed the man by his neck and pulled him up from the couch.

"Where. Is. He?" he asked slowly.

"You are late" the man said.

"What?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"He already has them" the man laughed. "You are too late again. And you can’t save them this time."

"What are you talking about?" Wes muttered.

Blaine wasn’t paying attention. He pushed the man away and reached into his pocket for his phone. He knew exactly what he was talking about and he wished more than ever that Kurt answered his call. It didn’t happen, though, so he tried to call Danny. Nothing.

"Where are they?" Blaine asked as he turned back to the man.

"It doesn’t matter" the guy said. "You won’t be able to get to them in time."

"Where is my family?" Blaine shouted.

"Too late, Anderson" the man laughed. "You are too late. Again."

~ o ~

Kurt stopped for a moment as he was dragged out of the van, shocked by how many people there were around them. He knew he shouldn’t have been surprised, he had seen some of them at the van when Ethan and the other guy had taken them from home and he had already known how many people worked for him. He was still shocked. He had believed deep inside that he would have a chance to free Danny. With so many people surrounding them, he didn’t have a chance at all.

"This way" Ethan told them.

Kurt stepped to Danny immediately and pushed him behind him. Not that he could shelter him. Ethan’s men seemed to be everywhere.

"Move" Ethan said impatiently, snapping his fingers.

Kurt lost his grip on Danny’s hand as he was grabbed by two men and pushed forward. He looked back in concern to see that the others followed them with Danny. He didn’t like this. He knew he should have come up with a plan before it was too late because he was perfectly sure that he could do nothing once they were inside. But what should he do?

They were dragged inside way too fast. Ethan stopped in the middle of a large room and turned around to look at them, seemingly enjoying the fear in the others’ eyes.

"It’s time to say goodbye, boys" he said.

"No!" Kurt said. He finally found his voice, although he had no idea what he would say. Just that he had to do everything he could to get his son out of here. "Please, don’t do this. He’s just a child!"

Ethan seemed to think about it, as if he considered changing his mind. Kurt knew he had to be quick.

"I know I made a mistake when I betrayed you but please, don’t punish my son for my sins" Kurt said.

"Sins" Ethan repeated. "I like the term. So tell me, Kurt, what would you do to save your boy, huh?"

"Whatever you want" Kurt said.

It seemed to give Ethan an idea.

"You know what? I think there might be something you could do for me" he said. "Get on your knees."

Kurt was released immediately. He took a deep breath and slowly got on his knees.

"Very good" Ethan said as he stepped forward. "And now beg."

Kurt didn’t hesitate. Yes, it was humiliating but who cared when it was about Danny’s safety? His son was always the most important. He would always be.

"I’m begging you" Kurt said quietly. "Don’t hurt my son. Take my life but let him live."

"Kurt…"

"Shh" Ethan silenced Danny immediately. "Let him talk."

Kurt had no idea what else to say. What did Ethan expect him to say? He had to continue, that was sure. Ethan enjoyed this too much to end it too soon.

"I-I know I betrayed you and I’m so sorry. I was weak. I should have… I should have stayed away from him. Like I promised."

"That’s right" Ethan nodded. "You were such a naughty boy, Kurt. You do agree that I should punish you, right?"

"Yes" Kurt said quietly.

"Very good" Ethan nodded. "I’ve planned something special for you."

He snapped his fingers again and two of his men stepped forward. Kurt didn’t recognize what they were holding in their hands, not until they stopped right beside them. Kurt’s eyes widened in horror.

"I’ve killed so many people in my life but guess what? I’ve never tried it with a bomb" Ethan whispered into his ear. "I’ve always lived fireworks, though. And I think this will be the best firework of my life."

Kurt felt like he was going to be sick. Now that he was so close to death, that he saw how it would end, he wasn’t sure if he could get through it. He looked at Danny who was watching him with wide eyes, seemingly close to collapse. He hoped his son didn’t have to see this.

"Oh, I almost forgot" Ethan said. "I should give you a chance to say goodbye, right?"

Danny was released and he quickly ran to Kurt, throwing his arms around the man.

"It’s okay" Kurt said, trying to be as reassuring as possible. "You have to be strong."

"Please, don’t do this" Danny cried.

"Danny, listen to me" Kurt started. "Whatever happened to us, you’ve always been the most important. You are so young. You have your whole life ahead of you..."

"Kurt…"

"Please, listen to me, honey" Kurt said. "This isn’t what I want either but I don’t have a choice. I won’t let them hurt you. I know it’ll be hard but you have to know, I’ll always be there watching you, even if you can’t see me."

"You don’t even believe in such things!" Danny cried.

"I think I do now" Kurt said. "I believe that you’ll graduate, then go to college, meet a nice girl and get married. You’ll have a beautiful family and the job of your dreams. I know you’ll have that all. And I’ll be there to see it. Just… not the way I imagined it."

"I-I can’t lose you" Danny said.

"I love you so much and I’m so proud of you" Kurt said.

"Okay, it’s enough" Ethan said, snapping his fingers.

"No!" Danny screamed as he was pulled away from and towards the door. "Let me go! Kurt!"

Kurt was unable to stop crying as he watched Danny struggle in the grip of two large men. They dragged his son out of the room but he heard his screams after that, too. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Danny deserved to be happy after everything that had happened to them. He failed to give his child what he truly deserved but at least Danny would be free. That was all he could give him in that moment and if it meant he had to sacrifice himself, he would do it.

He was still shaking as they chained him to the pole and tied the bomb to his chest. It was like a simple black vest with colorful cords and a few plastic parts. He had no idea how much damage it was able to do but he had a bad feeling that Ethan made sure he died a long and painful death.

"I wish I could be here to see you die but unfortunately, I have so much to do" Ethan said as he crouched down beside Kurt. "Don’t worry, though. I’ll take care of your son."

"What?" Kurt frowned. He thought that now that he humiliated himself, it was finally over, that they would let Danny go and…

"You didn’t honestly think that I would let him go, right?" Ethan asked.

"But you said…"

"I said that I wouldn’t kill him" Ethan explained. "I won’t. It would be such a waste after I paid so much for him."

He stood up and took a step away from Kurt.

"He’s so vulnerable right now. I’m sure it won’t be too hard to break him" he said.

"You can’t" Kurt said. "He’s just a child…"

"He’s almost 16. It’s perfect. A few years with me and he won’t even remember that you ever existed. He’ll be my perfect little killer. And when he’s ready, I’ll send him back to kill Blaine."

"No..."

"Enjoy your remaining… 28 minutes" Ethan said. "You can pray if you want but you have to know, no one knows that you are here. Blaine won’t find you in time."

Kurt watched desperately as the man turned around and slowly walked out of the room. He wanted to call out for him, he wanted to beg, to stop him somehow, whatever he needed to do to save Danny but all he could do was sit and cry as he was left alone in the cold, dark room. He had less than half on hour left of his life. It would be over soon and he wouldn’t be able to feel the pain anymore. His family, though… It was a lot worse for them. He wished more than ever that Blaine somehow found out what had happened and was able to do something in time. He just had to.

~ o ~

Blaine was silent as he worked on the computer in the car. No one dared say anything, although his friends were really worried about him. Blaine had simply walked out of the house after they had found out what had happened to Kurt and Danny, thanks to the man who had told them everything happily, every single detail he knew. He hadn’t told them where to find Blaine’s family, though. He seemingly enjoyed that he caused so much pain to Blaine and didn’t seem to come to his senses, not even after Jeff and Wes had brought him to another room to have a little ‘chat’ with him. The bastard simply laughed and repeated that they were too late over and over again.

"Why is it so slow?" Blaine shouted in frustration.

"Let me…" Nick said carefully.

"We don’t have time!" Blaine said.

"Then let us help you!" Jeff shouted back. "What are you doing?"

"I’m trying to get the coordinates but this freaking computer is not working" Blaine said.

"Which coordinates?" David asked.

Blaine sighed and rubbed his forehead. Every second they wasted here might mean that he lost his family.

"When Ethan took Danny the first time, I wanted to make sure it never happened again. So I got them mini trackers" Blaine said.

"Seriously?" Jeff asked. "But how did you make them wear..."

"They don’t know about them" Blaine explained. "I hid one into Danny’s necklace and gave it to Kurt. I knew he would give him back and Danny would wear it all the time."

"And Kurt?" Wes asked.

"The watch he got from me for Christmas" Blaine explained. 

"That’s so…" Jeff knew that he better didn’t say anything Blaine wouldn’t like. "Genius! You are a genius, my friend!"

"Too bad I can’t get those freaking coordinates" Blaine said as he turned back to the computer.

"Let me" Nick sighed as he pushed his friend away. "Okay… Just a few more seconds… Give me the code."

"Here" Blaine said as he pushed his phone into Nick’s hand.

"I found them" Nick smiled. "See? That’s Kurt."

"And Danny?" Blaine asked.

"He’s… moving" Nick frowned. "That point there, that’s Danny."

"Where are they going?" Jeff asked.

Nick quickly ran his eyes down the map.

"The airport" he said in the end.

"Fuck" Blaine swore quietly.

"Go to Kurt. We’ll…"

"No" Blaine said. "Danny is with Ethan. I want to deal with him personally."

He turned to his friends, already knowing what to do.

"Wes, David, you come with me. Jeff, Nick, take half of the unit and find Kurt. Be careful when you get there. I have a bad feeling that it won’t be too easy" Blaine said.

"We’ll bring him back" Jeff promised.

"I know" Blaine nodded. "And I’ll end this for once and for all."

~ o ~

"You are a monster!" Danny screamed as Mick chained him to the back door of the van since the boy didn’t stop fighting and they were both tired of it. 

"Would you stop screaming? You’re giving me a headache" Ethan said in annoyance.

"You won’t get away with this" Danny said. "Blaine will find you and he’ll make you pay…"

Mick grabbed Kurt’s tie from the ground that had been left there, shoved it into the teenager’s mouth and tied it securely around his head, muffling his voice.

"Thank you" Ethan said. "He was getting really annoying."

Danny struggled a little more but when he realized that he wasn’t going anywhere with it, he finally gave up. He slumped against the door and closed his eyes, trying to breath. He was crying so hard that he could barely breath.

"Just to make things clear" Ethan said after a while. "Blaine has no idea that I have you or where to find you. He’ll find out sooner or later, of course, but it’ll be too late. A few more minutes and Kurt will die, that’s final. But if I were you, I would be more worried about myself."

Danny looked at the man in fear.

"You didn’t honestly think that I would spare you, right? I paid a lot for you when I got you from those idiots. It’s time for you to pay it back" Ethan said. "You’ll start your training tomorrow, once we arrive. You’ll train with me and Mick and then you’ll start working for me to pay back all the money I’ve spent for you."

Danny shook his head, unable to do more.

"I suggest you to do as we tell you. It’ll be a lot easier for all of us" Ethan said. "I really don’t want to ruin your pretty face. It can be useful later."

Danny looked from one man to the other in confusion. He had no idea what Ethan was talking about.

"Oh, I can explain it to you" Ethan smiled. "You know, my dear friend Mick was about your age when my father killed his parents and took him when his parents couldn’t pay the debt. He was a hard case… My father had to punish him several times to make him obey. And those cuts don’t heal completely."

"I like my scars" Mick said.

"Of course you do" Ethan smiled. "You are such a cruel bastard, that’s why I like you so much. But not everyone is like you."

He pulled up his shirt, revealing his own scars all over his chest. Danny was so scared that he forgot how to breath.

"Yeah. My father had a hard time with me when I was teenager. He had to punish me several times but he didn’t want to ruin my face, so…"

He shrugged as if it was completely fine. Danny couldn’t believe they didn’t understand how wrong it was.

"You’ll get used to it" Ethan said. "You won’t have a choice."

Danny closed his eyes again, desperately trying not to think about what these men would do to him. 

~ o ~

Kurt looked at the timer on his chest. Ethan had made sure he saw it perfectly, so he was aware of how little time he had left. Just a few more times… He knew he should have started to pray or go through his best memories or whatever people did in their last minutes but he couldn’t stop thinking about his family and stop worrying about them. He had no idea what would happen to them. He still believed that Blaine would be able to find Danny. He trusted Blaine completely, he knew he would be able to free him. But when would it happen? Kurt was afraid that it would be too late, that Danny would be too damaged in the end and Blaine alone wouldn’t be enough to help him through it. And Blaine… Blaine would be devastated for sure. Kurt knew for sure that Blaine loved him. Of course he loved him. How he would get over his death, Kurt had no idea. He could just hope that Blaine would be strong enough for himself and Danny. He had to.

He looked at the timer again. Less than five minutes left. It seemed so little but also too much. It was weird. His heart was beating so fast, he tried to breath properly but he was so worried. He hoped that it would be over soon and he didn’t have to feel too much pain. He had never thought about how he would die before, probably because he was too young to die but if he could choose, he wanted it to be as painless as possible. Maybe Ethan had left him with so much.

"Kurt!"

Great. It wasn’t even over but he was already hallucinating. It seemed like he heard Nick’s voice. That was strange for sure. Shouldn’t he hear Blaine’s voice instead?

"Oh. Dear. God."

Now he didn’t only hear Nick – and Jeff – but he also saw them. With a lot of other people around them. Wait a second...

"Nick? Jeff?" Kurt asked in disbelief.

"We’ll get you out of here" Nick said as he rushed to Kurt’s side. "Are you okay?"

"Danny!" Kurt said quickly. "Ethan has him. I-I don’t know where he took him but…"

"Blaine’s already there" Jeff said. "Now stay still. We have to get you out of here."

"He’s chained to the pole" Nick said. "Maybe I can free him but we have to get that thing off of him."

Jeff seemed to notice the bomb the first time.

"Oh, shit" he muttered.

"You have to get out of here" Kurt said. He was pretty sure that none of his friends knew how to inactivate a bomb and they had no time left to call for help. He didn’t want to see them die.

"You are crazy if you think we’ll leave you" Nick said.

"He’s right" Jeff said as he turned to his husband.

"What?" Nick asked in disbelief.

"I’m gonna stay with him and try to inactive the bomb but you have to get out of here" Jeff explained. "If something goes wrong, you have to live. For the kids."

"Are you out of your mind?" Nick asked.

"Guys, could you discuss this after we get out of here?" Kurt asked. They were running out of time.

"You are right" Jeff said. He stood up and pulled Nick into a quick but passionate kiss. "I love you. Take care of the kids."

"But…"

"Go, Nick!" Jeff said impatiently, motioning his men to take his husband out of there. Nick would surely hate him for this but he had to focus on the bomb in that moment. 

"Do you have any idea what to do?" Kurt asked in concern.

"We have to cut the wire" Jeff said easily. "I’ve seen a lot of action movies. They always do that."

"Okay. Which one?" Kurt asked because there were two wires coming out of the plastic thing on his chest. A blue and a red one. Such a cliché.

"I don’t know" Jeff muttered.

"Jeff, we don’t have more time!" Kurt said desperately.

"Okay" Jeff said but didn’t make a move.

"Which one would you cut?" Kurt asked.

"The red" Jeff said.

"Cut the blue" Kurt said quickly.

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

Kurt could see that they reached the last ten seconds. Jeff had to do something. Okay, maybe they   
would both die but they would for sure if he didn’t do as Kurt told him. They had to try at least. 

Jeff’s hands were shaking as he cut through the blue wire, so slowly that Kurt was afraid that they would run out of time. Five… Four… Three...

"Jeff!" he screamed.

Three. Kurt was unable to look away from the timer. It still didn’t change. 

"We did it" Jeff said in disbelief.

"You did it" Kurt laughed. "You saved me."

"I have to sit down" Jeff said, still shaking. Kurt, on the other hand, couldn’t stop laughing. There was nothing funny in the situation but he felt so relieved that he couldn’t help it.

"I love you" Kurt said as Jeff sat down beside him, taking deep breaths.

"Uhm… Thanks, Kurt. You know I love you, too, but only as a friend" Jeff said. "I would never do that to Nick. Or Blaine. You are sexy but not my type."

"You are an idiot" Kurt rolled his eyes. Jeff wouldn’t miss a chance for a joke.

"I know. Nick says that all the time" Jeff said.

"If you feel ready, you should really get me out of this" Kurt said as he looked down at the bomb. "I have no idea if it is just temporary or not and I definitely don’t want to die."

"Sure" Jeff smiled. "And I hope we’ll get the hell out of here after that."

"Of course" Kurt nodded. He didn’t want to come near this place ever again. Besides, he had something very important to do. He had to make sure his family was alright.

~ o ~

When they finally stopped, Mick freed Danny from his restrains. The boy tried to run when he was finally free and the door open but the adults seemingly expected something like that. Mick hit him in the stomach, making him fall forward and moan in pain.

"Don’t be stupid, kid" Ethan told him as Mick grabbed Danny’s wrist and started to tie them together. "I already told you. If you don’t do as we tell you, you’ll be punished."

He grabbed Danny’s hands and pulled him forward. Danny had no choice, he had to go with him, barely able to stand on his unsteady feet. He finally looked up to see where they were and his eyes widened when he realized that they were in a hangar. Oh, no...

"Mr Harvey" a man ran to them, waving his hands. He didn’t even seem surprised to see a tied-up teenager in the men’s company. "Mr Harvey. I-I know you told us to be ready for your arrival…"

"Exactly" Ethan said as he stepped forward, pulling Danny with him. "And I hope for your sake that everything is fine."

"I… We have some trouble, Sir" the man said hesitantly.

"Trouble?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The-the pilot… He got stuck in the traffic on his way here… I-I’m really sorry, Sir, I…"

"You surely found me another suitable pilot. Right?" Ethan asked slowly.

"He’ll be here within a few minutes. You could sit down in the waiting area and have a drink while you wait" the man offered.

Ethan sighed heavily. He had thought that these people already knew how much he hated waiting. Maybe he had been wrong.

"I never wait for anybody else" Ethan said in the end.

It happened so fast that Danny couldn’t even blink. He heard a loud bang and in the exact same moment, the man’s eyes widened. He looked down at his chest that was now covered in blood around the wound where Ethan had shot him. Danny screamed as the man collapsed in front of them, making horrible gurgling sounds.

"See? That’s why I train my men personally" Ethan said as if he was talking about the weather. "It’s so hard to find good employees nowadays."

"Did you really have to kill him?" Mick asked in a bored tone.

"He told me to wait" Ethan said in exasperation. "Nobody tells me what to do."

"I guess it means I have to find the pilot" Mick said.

"Exactly" Ethan smiled. "I believe you can do that for me."

"Sure" Mick muttered and kicking the dying man on the ground one more time, he left.

"He said something about a drink, right?" Ethan asked from the trembling teenager when they were left alone. "I really need one. Come on!"

He dragged Danny through a corridor and into a big, warm room. It was an elegant waiting room, probably for the most influential clients. Ethan seemingly knew it very well. He pushed Danny onto the couch and went to get himself a drink, then sat down beside the boy and pulled out his phone. 

"23.14" he said. "Kurt has exactly one minute left of his life."

He watched the screen until those few seconds passed, enjoying the sweet sounds of the sobbing boy beside him.

"Aaand bumm" Ethan said happily. "I wish I could have seen it. I never blew up anything before."

He looked at the boy beside him again. Danny was shaking and crying and didn’t seem to listen to him at all. Ethan sighed. He hated when people cried, especially when they ruined such beautiful moments of his life.

"Hey, stop it. He knew very well what would happen if he…"

He fell silent immediately as he heard the noise. It was barely noticeable, especially with the kid crying beside him, but he still heard it. And he had that feeling, too. Somebody was watching him. 

Ethan jumped up and pulled up the boy, too, to stand in front of him. He put an arm around Danny and pressed his gun to the boy’s temple. He tried to find out where the other man was hiding. He was there, that was sure. He could practically feel Blaine’s presence. He just didn’t know where he was hiding. 

"I know you are here, Blaine" he said. Of course he was. He was probably behind the pilot’s absence, too. Ethan hated when people got into his business, old friends or not. "You should come out. You know very well how it ended the last time."

Danny looked around in confusion. He was pretty sure that the man was crazy, there was no sign of Blaine or anybody else. Ethan didn’t seem to think the same, though. He only got more frustrated.

"I’m tired of these games, Blaine" Ethan said. "Come out, now, or I’ll kill the kid."

Nothing. Now Danny knew that it was insane, that there was nobody else and he would die because this man lost his mind and he…

A soft knock from behind them caught his attention. And Ethan’s too. The man turned around quickly and without a second of hesitation, he fired. Only he didn’t hit anything but the wall.

"What the…"

He was still holding his gun out when something heavy landed on his back. Ethan fell to the ground and he pulled Danny down with him. The boy moaned in pain but the man’s weight disappeared in a second. Ethan was dragged away from him and the gun he had dropped as Danny realized. 

"Run!" Blaine shouted while getting out of the way of Ethan’s fist.

Danny didn’t hesitate. In that moment the best he could do was definitely to listen to Blaine. He pushed himself up from the ground and ran straight to the door. He had to get out of here as Blaine had told him. Blaine didn’t need any distraction in that moment, he had to focus completely on the other man who was now lying under Blaine who was hitting him over and over again.

"I’ll kill you" Blaine said between punches. 

The other Warblers had to be here, too. He only had to find them and get help. Danny turned back to the door and opened it with some effort. He had to get rid of his restrains, too, but first he had to get help.

He barely took a few steps forward when he was grabbed and pushed to the wall by a huge, solid body. He raised his hands in front of him but Mick was already squeezing his neck, making him unable to move. Danny froze, horrible memories of the past blocking him. He had tried to fight this man, twice. Once when he had almost killed him and after that when Mick had broken his arm. Now he was too scared to do anything. 

"Are you going somewhere?" Mick asked as he leaned forward. "I’m pretty sure Ethan won’t mind if I have some fun with you, boy."

Danny squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that whatever Mick planned wouldn’t be too bad. He wouldn’t kill him, right? He wouldn’t do that, not even if he was a lunatic and he surely knew that they weren’t alone… No. Mick didn’t seem to get that. He tightened his hands around Danny’s neck, just like the first night and Danny couldn’t breath anymore. He closed his eyes, unable to watch. If he was going to die, he didn’t want this face the last one he saw. Only he couldn’t make himself to think about anything but Blaine who was so close and still too far to help him…

Suddenly, the hands were gone and he fell to his knees. They weren’t alone anymore. There were people shouting and running towards them. And there was somebody else standing beside him, talking to him. And Mick, now lying on his back, unmoving.

"...Can you hear me?"

Blaine crouched down beside him, pulled out the gag of his mouth and quickly untied his wrists. Danny still didn’t look at him. He kept his eyes on the man lying beside them, afraid that he might wake up and hurt them all.

"Hey, look at me" Blaine said as he grabbed Danny’s arms and pulled up the boy from the ground. "Are you okay?"

Danny finally looked at Blaine. He was bleeding, he had several small cuts on his face and hands, there was a huge bruise forming under his left eye and his clothes ruined. He was still smiling at him. It felt so wrong. Especially...

"Kurt!" Danny said in a hoarse voice. 

"He’s…"

"No, you have to listen to me!" Danny said desperately, gripping Blaine’s arms. "He’s in that warehouse… We have to get to him! Maybe it’s not too late to…"

"Danny, listen to me" Blaine said as he reached out and gently shook the boy. "Kurt is fine."

"We have to…"

"He’s on his way to the hospital" Blaine said. "Jeff and Nick found him in time. He’s a live."

Alive. Kurt was alive. He would still see him if...

"What about…"

Danny merely nodded towards the room, unable to say the name of the man who had caused so much pain to his family.

"He won’t hurt you anymore" Blaine said. "It’s over."

And then Danny collapsed, loud sobs shaking his body, his feet too weak to support his weight any longer. He gripped Blaine’s torn shirt, unable to let go. Blaine sighed as he pulled the boy close and held him in his arms as Danny cried. He told him that it was okay over and over again, knowing that that was all he could do in that moment. There was so much more they had to face in the future but they could do it together. All the three of them.

He watched as Wes and David gave orders their men to take care of the bodies and the prisoners until the police arrived. Although it gave Blaine an uneasy feeling, he still believed that he had made the right choice. He could have killed Ethan. He had had the man in his clutches, it would have been so easy to end his life and make sure he would never go close his family ever again. Blaine still decided not to. He had never killed anyone in his life and was determined to keep it that way. It would have killed something in him, too, he had seen it so many times. He didn’t want that. So he chose to let the other man live but make sure he never left jail again. He would check on him personally if he had to but Ethan would never hurt the people he loved ever again. He was Blaine Anderson after all. He had stopped too many lunatics in his life to let the past get in his way. He finally understood that.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.

The ride to the hospital was spent in complete silence. None of the passengers felt like they should talk. Wes and David were sitting on the front seats, their eyes on the road the whole time. They were lucky, they had gotten out of the fight without any injury. Not like the others on the backseat.

Blaine kept Danny in his arms. Although everything hurt like hell, he didn’t want to let go. That night… It had been frightening. He had been so scared of losing his family and now that he knew that they were both alright, he couldn’t wait to get to Kurt and make sure he didn’t let his family out of his sight for a very-very long time. It had been too close… He had talked to Jeff, he knew exactly what had happened in that warehouse. He had almost lost the love of his life, along with his best friend. It was just to much.

He had no idea how Danny felt. The boy was seemingly in no condition to talk. He had been silent since getting in the car and he seemed like he was miles away. He didn’t seem like he knew too much about what was going on around him. Blaine couldn’t blame him. He remembered the first time he had seen someone die. He had been only a few years older than Danny now, it had happened so many years ago, he still remembered it as if it had happened only hours earlier. It was something he would never forget, the pain and fear in that man’s eyes, how he had gone still right in front of him, how life had left his body. It had happened all in front of him.

Blaine looked down at the boy in concern. It was a lot worse for Danny. He hadn’t chosen this, not like Blaine had so many years earlier. He had been dragged into this mess, only because of him. And Blaine had no idea how to help him through it. It would be hard for sure, a lot harder than it had been the last time they had been in danger like this.

He gently shook Danny when the boy closed his eyes. It happened a few times on their ride to the hospital. He was surely exhausted and Blaine wanted nothing but to let him rest, but he couldn’t let that happen. Not until somebody checked on the boy and made sure his head injury wasn’t that bad. Blaine hoped that it wasn’t. Danny didn’t feel sick, or at least that was what he told Blaine. It was hard to tell if he really wasn’t feeling that bad or was just too exhausted to feel anything. Either way, Blaine had to be careful.

"Hey, you have to stay awake" he said gently.

"I’m so tired" Danny muttered.

"I know and you’ll be able to sleep, once we are done in the hospital and go home" Blaine said.

"Okay" Danny said but he closed his eyes again.

"Danny!"

"Fine" Danny said in frustration, rubbing his tired eyes. "Do you know anything about Kurt?"

"He’s in the hospital" David answered. "Jeff and Nick are with him and they are waiting for his test results to come back. But it doesn’t look that bad."

"You weren’t there" Danny said. "He… When he…"

Blaine sighed heavily as he tightened his arms around the trembling boy.

"Don’t be scared. It’s over. He can’t hurt you anymore" he said.

Danny remained silent. Blaine knew what he was thinking. Although Ethan was locked up for now, they could never be sure if he would find a way out of jail somehow. Well, Danny couldn’t be sure. Blaine knew that he wouldn’t let that happen. 

"We are almost there" Wes said after a while to break the silence.

Apparently, nobody seemed up to a conversation.

~ o ~

"Look up."

Blaine watched in amusement as Danny rolled his eyes. He could tell how much the boy hated the hospital and every move he made told the adults that he just wanted to get out of here. If everything went well, he could. Blaine didn’t know if Kurt could leave with them as well since he still couldn’t check on him. He was tapping his feet impatiently as he waited but that was all he could do for now. He couldn’t leave Danny on his own after all, Kurt would kill him for that. 

As he expected, he didn’t need any special treatment on his own. He was used to being beaten up after all, a few bruises meant nothing to him. Some painkillers, a few days off and he would be fine. It really wasn’t a big deal. 

"I think we are done here" the doctor said as he pulled back.

"Does it mean I can go home?" Danny asked.

"Are you feeling sick?" the doctor asked.

"No" Danny said quickly.

"Are you sure? No nausea, headache…"

"Considering that I was hit in the head, I’m pretty sure it would hurt for a while and it’s completely normal" Danny said.

"How long were you out?" the doctor asked next.

"I’m fine" Danny said. "I just want to see my dad. Please."

"Fine" the doctor said in the end and turned to Blaine. "You can take him home but if his condition worsens, I want you to come back immediately."

"Alright" Blaine nodded.

"So I guess you want to see Mr Hummel" the doctor smiled.

"How do you know?" Danny frowned. They hadn’t told him anything about Kurt.

"Honestly? He can’t stop talking about what he’ll do to us if we don’t let him go home to you" the doctor said.

"I’m sorry" Blaine said. He knew what Kurt was like when he didn’t get what he wanted, especially when it was about something important. They didn’t make it any easier for the doctors and nurses either. It was obvious that they only wanted to go home and be together without anyone else disturbing them.

"It’s okay" the doctor said. "Follow me. You can sign the papers later."

It wasn’t hard to find Kurt at all. Blaine and Danny smiled at each other when they heard the man’s loud and frustrated voice way before reaching his room.

"Mr Hummel, you have to calm down" came a female voice from the room.

"Don’t tell me what to do. I want to see my son. Now" Kurt said.

"You have to stay still until…"

"I’m fine" Kurt said. "Now get out of my way."

"Thank God you are here" Nick said when he noticed the others. "He’s… kind of unbearable."

"I can tell" Blaine nodded.

Without knocking, they walked straight into the room, only to find Kurt standing beside the bed in nothing but his hospital clothes, seemingly in pain. It still didn’t hold him back as he tried to get through Jeff who was holding his arms and the nurse who tried to calm him down a bit.

"Mr Hummel, I already told you. You can see your son once…"

"You are here" Kurt said when he saw the others walk into the room. He shook off Jeff’s hands and reached out towards his family.

Danny ran to him and threw his arms around Kurt without thinking. He only stepped back when Kurt hissed in pain.

"God, I’m so sorry" Danny said. He was so stupid. He had forgotten how badly Kurt was hurt.

"It’s fine" Kurt moaned. "Really. I just…"

"You have to sit down" Blaine said seriously and without giving Kurt a chance to protest, he helped him get back to the bed.

"It’s nothing, really" Kurt said. "We can go home once I get my clothes back."

"You mean once the doctor comes back and says that it’s safe" Jeff corrected him.

"I’m not staying" Kurt said determinedly.

"I think you should lie down" Danny said uncertainly. He had no idea how badly Kurt was injured but his face didn’t look too well. He was scared that Kurt had a few broken ribs as well, not to mention the other, much worse possibilities. Kurt had to be careful not to hurt himself any more. 

"I’m fine" Kurt said but let Blaine help him get into the bed again. "Only because that’s what you want. But I’m not dying."

"Sure" Blaine smiled. Kurt could be really stubborn sometimes.

"I’m gonna check on the doctor" Jeff said after a while. He could tell that they were only disturbing.

"Maybe we have the results" the nurse nodded in agreement.

"We definitely have to check" Nick nodded in agreement.

Seconds later, there was only the three of them in the room. Blaine closed the door to get as much privacy as they could have in a hospital, then turned back to Kurt.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in concern.

"I’m fine…" Kurt started again but he fell silent when he realized how worried the others were. Danny sat down beside him and squeezed his hand. Blaine stepped behind the boy and put a hand on his shoulder but his eyes never left Kurt. "Okay. It hurts like hell but I don’t think I have any broken bones."

"We have to wait for the results to come back" Blaine said. "If it’s nothing but bruises, you can come home with us but if it’s something serious, I think you should stay here. For your own sake."

"But I want to go home" Kurt said, almost pouting like a child.

"Just for a few days" Danny said gently.

Kurt sighed heavily but nodded in the end.

"Does it mean you can go home?" he asked.

"Only because we promised that we would be back if he feels sick" Blaine said.

"See? That’s why I have to go home" Kurt said as he tried to sit up but fell back in the end. "Just give me a second."

"No, that’s why you have to stay here if necessary" Blaine said. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you are both alive. I won’t risk losing any of you now, so I’ll make sure you stay in that bed if I have to."

Both Kurt and Danny turned to look at Blaine. The man had tried to keep his emotions under control so far but he couldn’t do it anymore. Yes, he was still worried. He had almost lost his family only a few hours earlier, he wouldn’t risk that again only because the others were so stubborn.

"You are right" Kurt said quietly. "I just… I really hate hospitals."

"I know" Blaine said gently. "And you will go home, as soon as it’s safe."

Kurt smiled at him. He had been worried about what Blaine would say, that he would be angry with him and berate him for his stupidity. But Blaine was so nice… That was what Kurt needed right now.

"I have good news" the doctor said as he walked into the room with Kurt’s papers in his hand. "There’s no internal bleeding or broken bones, just bruises. A few days of rest and you’ll be fine."

"Does it mean I can go home?" Kurt asked hopefully.

"Do you have anyone to be there with you in the next few days?" the doctor asked.

Kurt looked at Blaine again. It was his decision to make. They weren’t together after all, so if Blaine didn’t want to be with him, Kurt had to accept that. He had been so rude to him, he would understand if Blaine wanted to keep some distance, even if that wasn’t what Kurt wanted at all.

"I’ll keep an eye on him" Blaine said. "I already agreed to stay with Danny, so…"

"Thank you" Kurt said gratefully. 

"Can we finally go?" Danny asked tiredly. "I really want to sleep."

"Of course" Blaine nodded.

"I prescribed you some painkillers. You’ll need them in the first few days but it should get better soon" the doctor said. "I want to see you both on Wednesday if everything is fine. If you feel worse…"

"We’ll be back immediately" Kurt promised.

"Very good" the doctor nodded. "In that case, we have to take care of the paperwork and then you can go home."

"Finally" Danny sighed, rubbing his eyes. He could really use some sleep. And he wasn’t the only one.

~ o ~

It was 6 in the morning when Wes finally stepped through their front door, exhausted but happy. He had left the others in the hospital after making sure they were all fine. Now he only wanted to see his own family. It had been a long and terrifying night. He had been worried about Blaine and his family, just as much as his own. He had been scared that he wouldn’t see Tina and Emma ever again. But it was finally over. They were all fine, Ethan was safely locked away from the world, so he could finally calm down.

He was surprised to find Tina sitting on the couch in the living room, half asleep. He smiled and sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms. 

"You are here" Tina muttered sleepily.

"Why aren’t you in bed?" Wes asked.

"I was waiting for you" Tina said. "Did you honestly think that I would sleep when you were in danger?"

"Nah, it wasn’t that bad" Wes smiled. "You know that we are the bests. No one can hurt us."

"I try to believe in that but it doesn’t mean I wasn’t worried about you" Tina said honestly.

Wes pulled her into his arms again and kissed his wife.

"Are the others alright?" Tina asked after a while.

"They will be" Wes said.

"I can’t believe it happened to them again" Tina said. "They’ve suffered so much already."

"It’s over" Wes reassured her. "It won’t be easy for them to get over it but they have us. We’ll help them get through it."

"We will" Tina nodded in agreement.

"Is Emma in her room?" Wes asked. "I need to see her."

"Of course" Tina smiled.

They held each other’s hands as they walked upstairs and into their daughter’s room. Emma was sleeping peacefully, like those few lucky ones who had no idea what had happened that night.

"I love you both" Wes said.

Tina squeezed his hand as he watched Wes in concern. He could lie as much as he wanted but it wasn’t as easy for him either. Maybe because he had his own family now to worry about, he was clearly upset. But maybe a few days and he would get over it. Tina hoped so.

~ o ~

Jeff usually wasn’t so quiet but Nick understood why he didn’t feel like he should talk. They were both exhausted, barely standing on their feet. They just wanted to go home and have some rest before the kids woke up. It would happen soon, they weren’t those lucky types whose kids woke up late, they would be glad for a few hours, if the babysitter managed with their children, of course. 

"Are you hungry?" Nick asked as they walked into the house.

"No. Just tired" Jeff said quietly.

"Let’s go to sleep then" Nick nodded. He didn’t want to stay awake either. Just a few hours of sleep… He needed it so much.

They quickly climbed into their bed without wasting any time for a shower. Nick closed his eyes immediately and thought that it would be easy to fall asleep, but then it hit him. Everything they had gone through that night, the fear for his friends, then Jeff… The feelings, the memories, how lucky they were to be home safely… 

He opened his eyes and sat up.

"What’s wrong?" Jeff muttered sleepily.

"You almost died tonight" Nick said quietly.

"We all did" Jeff shrugged. "It’s not a big deal."

"Yes, it is" Nick said seriously. "You have no idea how much I wanted to punch you back then. Did you honestly think that I would be able to live without you?"

"Nick…"

"You can’t do such stupid things!" Nick shouted suddenly, getting out all of his fears. "We… we are a team, Jeff. You and I, forever, remember? You promised me!"

"Why are you so angry?" Jeff frowned.

"Because I almost lost you!" Nick said.

He was crying. Jeff reached out towards him but Nick slapped his hand away.

"No! Just…"

"Nick."

Jeff reached out towards him again and Nick finally let his husband pull him into his arms. Jeff quickly wrapped his arms around him and kissed the top of his head.

"I was scared, too" Jeff said after a while. "I love you and the kids, too. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t. But I had to do something, even if I knew I could die. Kurt is our friend and I had to save him."

"You could have died" Nick muttered.

"I know" Jeff nodded. "But I’m here. We are all safe now. He’s gone and he can’t hurt us anymore."

"God, it must be so hard for Blaine, Kurt and Danny" Nick said after a while.

"It certainly is" Jeff nodded. "But they have us. We’ll help them through this."

"Do you think we can?" Nick asked.

"Of course" Jeff smiled. "We are the Warblers after all. Nothing can stop us, remember?"

Nick smiled as his husband. Jeff always knew how to make him feel better.

~ o ~

Blaine was so glad when they finally arrived to his place. It was a quick decision that they would stay there. Neither Kurt nor Danny seemed like they wanted to go home, so when Blaine offered them to stay with him for a while, they agreed without hesitation. They stopped at the house to grab a few things they would need in the next few days. It was Blaine who got them clothes in the end because his family didn’t seem like they were ready to go inside and face what had happened to them. They stayed in the car the whole time and Blaine tried to be as quick as possible to not leave them alone for longer than necessary. He still stopped in the living room. He couldn’t not notice the blood on the carpet and it once again made him realize how close he had been to losing everything that was important to him. He forced himself to think about the positive things. Kurt and Danny were alive and they would be fine. Just like their bodyguards who were still in the hospital but they would heal with time. His men had found them earlier in the kitchen, injured and unconscious, but it wasn’t too late to save them either. They would be able to go home to their families soon and that was all that mattered. Blaine had to focus on the good things, he had to gather his strength because he needed to be stronger than ever.

He got out of his car when they arrived and helped Kurt get out, too. The man had been awfully silent the whole time, staring out of the window, lost in his thoughts. He was moving slowly, he was certainly in pain but he didn’t complain. He tried to seem strong as most of the time. Blaine then moved to the backseat. Danny had fallen asleep the second they left the hospital and didn’t wake up when they arrived either. Blaine carefully shook him awake and then guided the half-sleeping boy to the door. Danny muttered something and rubbed his eyes but then walked to the door without a question. Blaine stayed back to help Kurt who seemed to have trouble moving on his own. Blaine helped him sit down onto the couch and then went back to Danny. Damn, it was going to be a long day… 

"Are you hungry?" he asked the boy. "I can do something for breakfast if you want to eat."

"No" Danny muttered. "I just…"

He motioned towards his room.

"Just tell me if you need anything" Blaine said.

Danny simply nodded and walked into his room. He didn’t bother to close the door or get changed, he simply fell into the bed and Blaine was pretty sure he fell back asleep in that second. Blaine walked back to Kurt then and took a seat beside him. He was so tired. But he had also promised to take care of his family and that was what he wanted to do.

"This place is nice" Kurt said quietly.

"Yeah. Danny helped me with the furniture" Blaine said.

"I can tell" Kurt nodded.

They were silent for a while again. It wasn’t like they didn’t have anything to talk about. Blaine wanted to ask Kurt about Ethan so badly. He wanted to know everything but it felt so wrong, considering how bad Kurt looked and he probably didn’t need anything but a good sleep right now. Yes, that was what they had to do, sleep. They could discuss everything later.

"Uhm, I don’t have a guest room but you can sleep in my room" Blaine said. "I’ll take the couch."

Was that pain in Kurt’s eyes? Blaine thought that it was what he wanted… Or maybe wasn’t?

"I’ll be fine here. I won’t take your bed, you have to rest, too. You are injured" Kurt pointed out.

"It’s nothing" Blaine shrugged. "I’ve had worse."

"I don’t think I can sleep anyway" Kurt said quietly. "Go. I’ll be fine."

Blaine stood up and walked out of the room. Kurt thought that he was going to sleep but Blaine came back a few minutes later with two ice packs, a glass of water and Kurt’s medicines.

"You should take them" Blaine said. "They ease the pain and then you can sleep a little."

"I don’t think it’s a good idea" Kurt said as he took an ice pack and put it on his swollen face. "God, it hurts."

"Of course it hurts" Blaine smiled. "Believe me, it’ll be a lot worse tomorrow but it’s a good sign. It means that you’re healing."

Kurt sighed and made himself as comfortable as possible on the couch. Blaine took a seat beside him and put the other ice pack on his own face. He was surprised that Kurt didn’t want to check how bad he looked. Blaine had thought that he would be worried about his look but it didn’t seem like Kurt cared at all. He unbuttoned his shirt a few minutes later to see the bruises on his chest and gently touch them, but that was all. Then he let his head fall back against the pillows and closed his eyes.

"I’m not dying" Kurt muttered, looking up at Blaine who watched him in concern.

"I’m just worried about you" Blaine said.

"You don’t have to be" Kurt replied.

"It was really stupid of you" Blaine said before he could stop himself. So much for waiting with this until Kurt got better.

"What?" Kurt asked.

"That you didn’t let me help you" Blaine said.

"I didn’t have a choice" Kurt said.

"Yes, you did" Blaine replied heatedly. "You know me. You know that I would never let anything happen to you. If you had told me, I would have had a chance to get prepared. I could have brought you to somewhere safe, I…"

"You couldn’t have stopped him" Kurt interrupted.

"That’s funny because I did. Tonight" Blaine said.

Kurt lowered his gaze, sighing heavily.

"You don’t trust me" Blaine said quietly.

"I…"

"Don’t" Blaine said quickly. "Just don’t lie to me, please."

Kurt remained silent. He knew that whatever he said, Blaine wouldn’t believe him. He had screwed up really badly this time.

"You should decide what you want" Blaine said as he rose to his feet. "I think I’ve proved you that I still love you. Several times. I don’t think there’s anything else I can do. If you don’t want to be with me anymore, just tell me and I’ll leave you alone. But I’m tired of this game, Kurt. I just… I want to see things clear."

He left, not giving Kurt a chance to explain himself. Kurt sighed again when he was left alone in the living room. Blaine was angry with him and he had every right to be. Kurt had lied to him, he had hurt him, he had made it look like he didn’t trust Blaine. Of course Blaine wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore. It wasn’t that easy to correct his mistakes, he was pretty sure that a few nice words and kisses wouldn’t get them through this. He was certain that he loved Blaine, though. He knew that he didn’t want to lose him and now it was his time to prove that he wanted Blaine back. He just had to figure out how to do it. Apparently, it seemed like he had all the time he needed to figure out how exactly to do that.


	34. Chapter 34

Kurt didn’t have much sleep that night. His talk with Blaine and the worrisome thoughts that followed them kept him up almost the whole night. Or better the day. It was already morning when he had gone to sleep and way after lunchtime when his family seemed to wake up. Kurt stayed on the couch as he listened to the sounds in the house. Blaine hadn’t had much sleep either, although he had ended up in his room after their conversation when Kurt had refused to leave the living room, he had been awake several times and checked on them. Danny didn’t seem to be able to sleep better either. He must have been in pain because Kurt often heard him hiss and moan as he turned in the bed.

When it became obvious that they would be completely awake soon, Kurt forced himself to get up. It was horrible. Blaine was right, it was a lot worse now that he had some rest than it had been the previous day. Everything hurt, he couldn’t really move his limbs and he had a horrible headache. He wanted nothing but to lie down a bit but he also knew that he wouldn’t be able to sleep. It was better to start the day and make himself busy.

After a long and awkward attempt to shower, Kurt got into the clothes Blaine had gotten him the previous night and walked into the kitchen. There was still no sign of the others, so he decided to make breakfast on his own. He looked around in concern, as if he was afraid that he was doing something wrong. He knew Blaine, he knew that he wouldn’t mind if Kurt made himself a coffee or something to eat, but he felt like a stranger in this house. He didn’t belong here. And maybe he didn’t belong to Blaine either.

As he found everything for the coffee, he let himself think about them again. What Blaine had said hurt so much. No, that wasn’t what hurt the worst but the fact that he was right. Kurt had been so mysterious, so confusing, he had let Blaine close and pushed him away again. Of course Blaine thought that he didn’t trust him anymore. He had almost gotten killed because of his stupidity and he had almost lost his son. Also his fault. The others were surely angry with him right now, they wouldn’t talk to him ever again, Danny would move in with Blaine and Kurt would be left alone. He would become like those old ladies with dozens of cats. Yes, he would have dozens of cats to make him feel like he wasn’t completely alone in the world, to make him forget how badly he had screwed up, that he had had everything but had lost his family because he had been so stupid...

"Good morning."

Kurt jumped when Blaine spoke. It was the first time he noticed the man standing there, he was so lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t heard him come in.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked in concern.

"Everything hurts" Kurt said honestly. He wanted to sneak his arms around Blaine and kiss him. Like in the old days. He missed it so badly.

"That’s completely normal" Blaine said and walked to the counter. "Sit down, I’ll finish this."

"I’m fine" Kurt said.

"I can tell" Blaine snorted. "Sit down, Kurt. I’ll make something to eat, too."

"Thank you" Kurt said quietly.

The silence was killing him. Blaine didn’t say anything as he prepared their coffees and breakfast. He placed everything in front of Kurt and sat down beside him after getting the bottle of painkillers from the counter.

"They should help" Blaine told him.

Kurt took out two pills. They should be enough, at least for now. He looked down at the food in front of him but he felt so guilty, it was a lot worse now that Blaine was around, he wasn’t sure if he could swallow anything but the coffee. Blaine seemed to notice it, too, and forced out a small smile. It was a fake one but Kurt appreciated it. At least he didn’t yell at him.

"You should eat it" Blaine said. "It’s been a long night. You have to eat to get back your strength."

"I’m not hungry" Kurt said.

"Because of the pain or because of what I said?" Blaine asked.

Kurt sighed. He didn’t want to hurt Blaine but he also didn’t want to lie to him anymore. 

"Look, this isn’t what I want either but I think we should be honest with each other" Blaine said. "If we want to make this work…"

"You want to?" Kurt asked hopefully.

Kurt almost groaned in frustration when the door opened and Danny walked into the kitchen. He wished the boy could have waited a few seconds before joining them. Just a few seconds, so you could have heard what Blaine thought about their relationship. He saw that Blaine wanted to say it, he could see it in his eyes, but as Danny joined them, he closed his mouth immediately. So Kurt was left without an answer in the end.

"Hey" Blaine smiled as Danny walked to the table and sat down beside them. "How are you feeling?"

"Better" Danny said weakly. 

"Really?" Blaine asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My head hurts but it’s really not that bad" Danny said, avoiding Blaine’s gaze. Yes, his head hurt like hell but it was nothing he couldn’t deal with. He didn’t want to go back to the hospital.

"You know, if your headache gets worse…"

"I’m fine" Danny said quickly. "Seriously, stop worrying about me. I’ll survive."

He looked from one man to the other. He had checked on his own face before he joined the others, it wasn’t even close to how bad his dads looked like. Blaine had several cuts and a few smaller bruises and Kurt… Kurt looked really bad. Worse than the previous night.

"You look like crap" Danny said honestly.

"It’ll get better soon" Kurt said.

"If you have enough rest" Blaine said seriously. "Uhm… I really don’t want to leave you alone right now but I have to take care of a few things."

"Can’t you do it from home?" Danny asked.

"It’s fine" Kurt said quietly. "We’ll be fine for a while."

"I’ll be back as soon as I can" Blaine said. "But if you don’t want me to go…"

"It’s okay, Blaine" Kurt said again. "Go. We’ll watch a movie or something."

"That’s a good idea" Blaine nodded. "Stay in bed. You both have to rest."

"What about you?" Danny asked.

"I’m fine" Blaine smiled. "It’s nothing, really."

"We are horrible in this, you know" Danny said.

Blaine laughed, shaking his head. Danny was right. They tried so hard to seem fine, to make each other believe in it. But they weren’t. Blaine only hoped that they could talk about the previous night soon and it wouldn’t have a horrible effect on their lives. They had to help each other over it somehow.

~ o ~

Jeff rubbed his tired eyes as he made his way to Blaine’s office. He hadn’t had much sleep that night. Once he and Nick had been done with their talk, they had passed out but it hadn’t lasted too long. Only two hours later, although it was a record, considering how little their children slept, the girls walked into their room and Gabe followed them only seconds later. The kids made sure their parents knew about their presence, so Jeff and Nick were forced to get up, even if everything hurt and they were so exhausted that they could barely move. The kids passed out after lunch, luckily, but before Jeff could have some rest on his own, Blaine had called him, telling him that he had to see him in his office. Jeff seriously considered turning his phone off for a while because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could do without sleeping. He loved his friends but Blaine had a horrible timing. He didn’t even understand why Blaine wanted to see him so suddenly. He should be with his family, not in the office.

"I guess you didn’t sleep too much either" Blaine smiled as Jeff walked into his office and sat down, suppressing a yawn.

"Is this even a question?" Jeff asked.

"No" Blaine said. "Thanks for coming here, by the way."

"You said that it was an emergency" Jeff said.

"Kind of" Blaine shrugged. "I need your advice."

"And it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?" Jeff asked.

"No" Blaine said. He took a deep breath before he continued. "I… This is about me and Kurt."

"I figured out" Jeff said. "What can I do for you?"

"As I said, I need your advice" Blaine said. "I… We talked."

"That’s what people do most of the time" Jeff nodded.

"No, you don’t understand. When we went home this morning, I tried to talk to him about our situation. Let’s say things didn’t go as I planned."

"Did he push you away again?" Jeff asked.

"Not at all" Blaine said. "But I was really rude to him. I-I was so scared and worried about them, so I told him how stupid he was and that he almost got himself and Danny killed."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, I know" Blaine sighed. "I tried to sleep but I couldn’t stop thinking about us. And I think Kurt feels the same way. He asked me about us this morning but I couldn’t give him an answer. I have to see things clear before I jump into anything."

"I still don’t see how I could help you" Jeff said.

"Tell me what I should do" Blaine said.

Jeff snorted. From all his friends Blaine had chosen him, the man who couldn’t even handle his own marriage right most of the times, to help him? That was crazy.

"I don’t think you want my advice" Jeff said.

"You surely know what you would do in my place" Blaine said.

"Honestly, I have no idea" Jeff said. "I mean… I know how you feel. You love him. And Kurt loves you, too. But I also know that things have been difficult for the two of you. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in you, I just…"

"What?" Blaine asked when Jeff didn’t continue.

"I think you two have to think about how to make this work. If you really want to be together" Jeff said honestly. "I don’t believe that things like this could be solved so easily, that you could just act like nothing happened. You have to learn how to trust each other again."

Jeff had a point. That was exactly how Blaine felt, that he couldn’t trust Kurt like before and the man didn’t trust him either. That was the only thing that held him back. He still loved Kurt, he still wanted to be with him, but he was scared that they couldn’t get over the past so easily.

"Look, I’m not really good in these things, but I think you should give yourself time. Try to get to know each other again" Jeff said. "Just try if it can work. And if not… You are adults. You can make an adult decision."

Blaine nodded. Even if Jeff didn’t believe in himself, he made Blaine see things clearer. He knew what he wanted to do.

~ o ~

Danny watched Kurt in concern. The man was supposed to rest, sit beside him and watch the movie they had chosen, but Kurt always found an excuse to stand up and leave him for shorter periods. Kurt was nervous and seemingly worried about something. Danny had no idea what was wrong with him. He did his best not to look upset or talk about the previous night but something bothered Kurt, that was sure. Maybe more than just what Danny saw.

"Would you sit down?" he asked, pausing the movie, so he could talk to Kurt.

"It’s not comfortable" Kurt said.

"Then lie down"Danny offered.

"I’m not sick."

"Would you just sit down for a few minutes?" Danny asked in frustration.

Kurt took a deep breath and finally joined him. Danny just watched him for a while before actually saying anything.

"Something is bothering you" he said quietly.

"A lot of things" Kurt nodded. He didn’t want to lie anymore.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Danny asked.

Kurt watched him in silence. Yes, he had so much to say. He just wasn’t sure he was ready for what Danny wanted to tell him.

"I’m so sorry" he said in the end. "I shouldn’t have lied to you and forced you to help me with it. I… I don’t know what I should have down differently to make sure you didn’t get hurt. I tried. I really did. I wanted to keep you safe so badly that I didn’t see how wrong I was in the end."

"That’s true" Danny said quietly. He remembered their fight. It seemed so far away, he couldn’t believe it only happened the previous night.

"I’m so sorry" Kurt said again. "I understand if you are angry with me. Or… If you want to stay with Blaine. That’s fine. I think I would do that, too."

Danny frowned. He had no idea what Kurt was talking about. First of all, he didn’t want to lose him again. Kurt had almost died the previous night, Danny had thought for a few horrible moments that he had lost him and it had hurt so much. He didn’t want to feel like that again. And there was Blaine, too. Danny was pretty sure that he would stay with Kurt now. He had to. They were a family after all.

"I’m not angry with you" Danny said. "I… I don’t know how I feel, to be honest, but that’s not because of you but because of what Ethan did to me."

"I shouldn’t have let that happen again" Kurt said.

"Hey, stop" Danny said seriously. "He would have come after us no matter what. He hates Blaine and wanted to make him suffer. He didn’t come after us because you did something wrong but because he’s a sick monster."

"What happened to you after we parted?" Kurt asked quietly.

"I don’t want to talk about it" Danny said quickly, worried that he would have a panic attack if he thought about what he had gone through. "Not yet. I’m not ready."

"That’s completely understandable" Kurt nodded. 

"You almost died last night" Danny said after a while.

"Well, yeah. That was his plan" Kurt smiled.

"No, I mean… You sacrificed yourself for me" Danny said.

"That’s what parents do" Kurt shrugged.

"That’s crazy" Danny said.

"That’s normal" Kurt corrected him. "Look, I can’t really explain it, but things change when you become a parent. Everything changes, to be honest. Suddenly, you have that little person you have to take care about and you feel like you would kill yourself with your bare hands if you have to, if it means you can keep them safe."

"As I said, that’s crazy" Danny smiled.

"Ah, you’ll understand one day" Kurt said.

"I don’t want to lose you either" Danny said after a while. "I know we have Blaine now but that’s not completely the same. I love him, too, of course, but…"

He took a deep breath and looked at Kurt.

"You have to promise me that you won’t get yourself killed" he said. "I won’t let it happen, so don’t even think about it."

"I promise" Kurt smiled. "I really meant what I said, Danny. I really hope that you’ll get everything you ever want. I believe in you, I know you can do that. And I want to be there when your dreams come true."

"I want that, too" Danny said, close to tears.

Kurt pulled him into his arms, fighting his own tears. 

That was how Blaine found them about an hour later. He smiled and walked closer to them. They used to spend the evenings like this, it was nice, even if their son was almost an adult and would start his own life without them soon.

"Is everything okay?" Kurt asked as he looked up at Blaine.

"Sure" Blaine said. "What about you?"

"We were about to finish this movie. Would you like to join us?" Kurt asked.

"Of course" Blaine said without hesitation.

It was a little awkward, considering that Blaine chose to sit beside Danny instead of Kurt like he usually did but it felt right in the moment. He still had to talk to Kurt about what to do and he didn’t want to anything before that. It was what he had to do, he decided.

The moment came later that night when Danny moved back to his own room and the two men were left alone in the kitchen. Kurt was still playing with his dinner but wasn’t actually eating it. Blaine noticed that he had barely anything to eat. It was definitely not good for him.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern.

"Sure" Kurt muttered.

"You should eat and then go to sleep. You have to get better" Blaine said. 

"I think we should talk" Kurt said as he pushed his plate away. "We didn’t finish that conversation we had this afternoon."

"That’s right" Blaine said. He sat down beside Kurt and reached for his hand, afraid of what Kurt would do. He let hold his hand in the end, much to Blaine’s relief. They had to support each other if they were really going to do this. "To be honest, I left because I had to think about us."

Kurt gulped nervously. Here it was. Blaine was going to tell him what he wanted to do and Kurt had to accept him if he loved him. There was no question, he loved Blaine unconditionally.

"I really want to make this work, Kurt" Blaine said as he looked into his eyes. "I always knew that we were meant for each other and even when you broke up with me, I knew that it wasn’t final. I don’t want it to be, especially after yesterday. When I thought I lost you… I don’t want to be there ever again."

"Me neither" Kurt said.

"But I also know that if we want to make this work, we have to work on our relationship" Blaine said honestly. "We are far from what we had before, I know you feel it, too."

"I’m so sorry" Kurt said, looking away. It was all his fault.

"Hey, look at me" Blaine said gently. "Neither of us is perfect. We made our mistakes, that’s true, but I think we can get over them. Together. If you want to, of course."

"You have no idea how much" Kurt said. "I know I screwed up and now you think that I don’t trust you. I’m really sorry about that, but things have been so complicated and I don’t know how I feel. I want to be with you so badly but I also know that I did something very wrong and it can…"

"Hey, stop" Blaine smiled. "I understand why you did it. I really do. And I’m well aware of my own mistakes. That’s why I think that if we decide to start over, we should take small steps."

"What do you mean?" Kurt frowned.

Blaine smiled at him. He already had a few ideas how to make this work.

"Let’s just take it slow, okay?" he said. "We aren’t in rush. We don’t have to act like nothing happened and be back to where we were before Ethan showed up. I think we should take our time to get to know each other again. To learn how to trust each other."

Kurt nodded in agreement. It was a great plan, he could definitely see it work.

"So where should we start?" he asked.

"I have a lot of ideas but since the circumstances make it difficult to go out for a while, I would like to have coffee with you tomorrow" Blaine said.

"Blaine, we have coffee together most of the time" Kurt pointed out. "We had one together, too."

"Just let me make the first step, okay?" Blaine said. "All you have to do is enjoy what I prepare for you."

"That sounds nice" Kurt said.

"You’ll love it" Blaine said.

At least he hoped so. He really wanted to make this work again. He couldn’t lose Kurt.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Well, it's been a month... I didn't mean to take such a long break, especially not without a word, so I owe you an apology. I know that some of you were worried about me. I'm still alive, just really-really busy with all the things I have to work on, like dissertation, papers, presentations, etc. I didn't find the energy to work on anything else when I spent most of my days in front of my laptop, writing. I guess it was good for me because now it feels so much better to be back.   
> I really don't want to hold you up any longer, so enjoy!

Blaine woke up early the next morning. He wanted to sleep, he really needed it, but he was too excited to stay in bed any longer. He had spent half of the night thinking about himself and Kurt. He was so happy that they gave themselves a second chance, even if he knew that there was a long way waiting for them until everything was fine again. But they would be fine with time, he knew they would. And it was his time to start working on their relationship.

He got dressed and silently walked out of his room, trying not to wake the others. It didn’t work, though. As he passed Kurt who still occupied his couch, the man sat up suddenly, looking around with wide eyes.

"It’s me" Blaine said quickly. 

"God, you scared me" Kurt said, pressing a hand to his rapidly beating heart.

Although he was exhausted, Kurt woke up to the smallest sounds, still fearing that something might go wrong again. He knew that they were safe and no one could hurt them anymore, it didn’t help much. He spent half of the night awake, ready for everything and when he heard a sudden noise, he acted like this. He knew that it wasn’t normal but he couldn’t help it. He needed time to feel safe again.

"You should go back to sleep, it’s early" Blaine told him.

"I’m fine" Kurt muttered sleepily and pushed himself up. He felt slightly better than the previous day. His face and chest was still in pain but he didn’t fell like he was dying anymore. It had to be a good sign.

"You need to rest" Blaine said. "Besides, I can’t really prepare you anything if you are around."

Oh, right. They had agreed to have coffee together that morning and Blaine had made it clear that he planned something special for the two of them. Kurt was dying to know what it was but he didn’t want to ruin Blaine’s surprise, so he simply nodded and lay back down, closing his eyes.

"Very good" Blaine smiled.

He walked into the kitchen and went straight to the fridge. He had bought them everything they would need in the next few days, so none of them had to leave the house unless they wanted to. Blaine had a feeling that they wouldn’t leave for a very long time unless they had to go back to the hospital or take care of something very important. They needed peace and silence to get over the trauma. The others were doing fine so far but it didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any trouble in the future. It was too early to say that.

He took his time preparing a good breakfast for Kurt and himself. He made themselves coffee, eggs with bacon, yogurt and fruits and everything else he found in the fridge and thought Kurt would like to eat. He also made a short trip to the garden to get the man a rose, and when he was ready, he grabbed the tray and walked back into the living room.

"Breakfast is ready" he said as he stopped beside Kurt who was also awake but still lying on the couch. "I would have brought you breakfast to bed but since you resist to sleep in my bed…"

"This is your house, Blaine. I won’t take your bed. Well, not until we are ready to sleep together again" Kurt smiled.

"And when would we be?" Blaine asked.

"I don’t know" Kurt said. "I don’t want to rush things. I really want to make this work, so if I have to sleep on your couch for a little while, it’s completely fine. Besides, I’m closer to Danny in case he needs me."

"I think he’s doing fine" Blaine said as he took a seat beside Kurt and grabbed their mugs. "Coffee?"

"Thank you" Kurt said and took the mug from Blaine. He looked at the tray in front of him and smiled. Blaine made a really good job with their breakfast and he also noticed the rose, a simple red one like the first flowers he had gotten from Blaine. "That rose is beautiful."

"There are a few rose bushes outside" Blaine explained. "This one is my favorite. It’s like…"

"Those flowers you gave me before we visited my dad the first time" Kurt said. "I know. I remember."

"I’m glad you do" Blaine smiled.

Kurt looked at the tray in front of him. He got himself a few grapes and pieces of apple before eating from the eggs Blaine made for themselves.

"Hm, this is great" Kurt hummed happily. "I see your cooking skills have improved a lot."

"What can I say? Canned food doesn’t taste so good anymore since I’m used to real meals" Blaine shrugged.

"I can tell" Kurt laughed.

"Danny helped me a lot" Blaine admitted. "It looks like I’m capable of more than just a few simple meals."

"Of course you are" Kurt said. "I can teach you more if you want me to. I know I promised you to teach you how to cook so many times but we never had time for that, so… But now we have all the time we need."

"That’s right" Blaine nodded in agreement. At least for a little while, until they could afford themselves a little private time. It wouldn’t last too long since both of them had to return to their jobs soon but they deserved a few days off until they recovered and were ready to go back to their lives.

"So… Fettuccine Alfredo?" Kurt smiled.

"Oh, no" Blaine groaned. "Please, don’t make me embarrass myself again. Let’s make something easy at first. I’m fine with eggs now but I would like to learn a few simple meals before trying something more difficult. I’m glad I can do more than three types of food now but I would like to practice more."

"I think we can do that" Kurt nodded. "Tonight?"

"Okay" Blaine nodded. "Just let me know if we need something from the store. I bought a few things yesterday but I’m not sure if we have everything."

"I’ll check on it" Kurt said. "And we could go to the mall together today. I think we all need to move out a little."

"Are you sure it’s a good idea?" Blaine asked in concern. He still remembered how Danny had acted the first few times after coming home. He had been scared of the crowd, he didn’t want to cause him or Kurt a panic attack because they weren’t ready.

Kurt looked at Danny’s closed door. Blaine had a point. Although the boy told them that he was fine, they were both worried that he would freak out sooner or later. They didn’t want that at all.

"You might be right" Kurt said quietly. "I think we should ask Danny first. I don’t want to force anything. If he isn’t ready, we should stay home."

"What about you?" Blaine asked. "Are you ready to leave the house?"

"Of course I am" Kurt said easily. "Why wouldn’t I be?"

~ o ~

Kurt understood Blaine’s fear the moment they arrived at the mall and got out of the car. He had thought that he was perfectly fine, right until he found himself surrounded by strangers. Usually it didn’t make him uncomfortable but now he couldn’t stop thinking about how dangerous these people could be. He had learned from first hand that people weren’t always what they seemed. They could look perfectly normal and be monsters. They had too many experiences to know that they couldn’t trust people so easily, not anymore.

Kurt wasn’t only worried about himself but his son as well. Danny tried to stay strong, he really did, but he couldn’t fool the man. The boy was so quiet and pale, he kept looking around in concern and playing with his ring, something that told Kurt that he was really nervous.

"We can go home if you don’t want to stay. It’s fine" Kurt said reassuringly.

"I’m fine" Danny said quickly. "Perfectly fine. Why wouldn’t I be?"

The smile on his face was so fake, both men could tell. Danny still tried to act like everything was okay. He tried not to stop every time someone got too close to him or shake when he noticed someone watching him. 

"Why do they stare at us?" Danny muttered.

Blaine sighed heavily. He understood why it bothered Danny but it was kind of natural. They all looked like crap, bruises and cuts covering their faces, so it wasn’t surprising that people kept staring at them. He tried to give them his best intimidating look to make people look away. It was his job to protect his family after all. If all those looks made his family uncomfortable, he would do against them. Sure, the best choice would be to leave. He wanted to do that, knowing what a bad idea was coming here. It was too early. They should have stayed home and ordered something for dinner and try again a few days later. But when he tried to talk about it, it became clear that the others were too stubborn to listen to him.

"We don’t need to go home" Danny said.

"They should learn that staring at people like this is simply rude" Kurt said almost at the same time.

So they stayed. Blaine still tried to hurry as much as possible, grabbing the few things they would need in the next few days, determined to get out of here as soon as possible. He also made himself a mental note to be more careful the next time and start with something easier like a walk in the garden or the neighborhood. Yes, that was recovery. Dragging his family to a crowded place like this was simply stupid.

He found out how stupid it was only a few minutes later. Kurt seemed to take it easier, probably because he wanted to stay strong for his family, but Danny couldn’t fake that he was fine any longer. He was sweating and breathing heavily, he was so pale that Blaine was worried that he might faint. He put an arm around the boy to give him support and grabbed Kurt’s hand, pulling them towards the exit.

"I’m fine" Danny said weakly.

"No, you aren’t" Blaine replied. "Come on. Let’s get out of here."

They quickly walked back to the car. Blaine opened the back door and helped Danny get in. He and Kurt stayed close to the boy who, now that he was finally seated, closed his eyes and tried to breath properly.

"We should take him to the hospital" Kurt said in concern.

"No!" Danny said quickly. "No, I-I’m fine. I don’t want to go back there."

"Danny, you need help" Kurt said gently. "Honey, I’m glad that you’re trying so hard but you’re not fine. Not at all. To be honest, I’m worried about you. Suppressing your feelings is not good, I’m afraid that you’ll break down and we won’t be able to help you."

"Please, don’t make me" Danny said desperately as he turned to Blaine. "I don’t… I can’t go through that again. I’m not sick."

"Of course not" Blaine reassured him. "It’s just… I’m not sure what we can give you is enough. I think you need professional help."

Danny buried his face into his palms and started crying, making the adults more worried than before.

"Hey, it’s okay" Kurt said gently. "You are so strong, honey. I’m really proud of you."

"You are wrong. I’m weak" Danny cried. "He said that and he was right. I’m such a disappointment."

"Okay. Stop it" Blaine said seriously. "Whatever Ethan told you, he was wrong. He was just messing with your head. He wanted to break you, so he hurt you the worst way possible. But he’s gone. He’s locked up and he won’t come back."

"I don’t believe in that" Danny said quietly. "I did, once. I made myself believe that we were safe of him. But then he showed up in our home and destroyed everything again."

He looked at Blaine so brokenly that the man wanted to turn back time and kill Ethan for doing this to his child. He should have done that. Maybe he had been wrong when he had spared the man’s life. Maybe he should have ended it for once and for all, so they would have been sure that Ethan wouldn’t find a way to come back. But it was done. Ethan was alive and all Blaine could do was making sure he was locked away from everyone and only people he could trust got in touch with the man. He had already made a few steps for his family’s safety but he would call a few more people in the morning. Ethan would never leave jail again. Whatever he had to do, even if he had to guarded him himself, he would never let him touch his family again.

"Danny, you have to trust me" Blaine said as he crouched down beside the boy. "He can’t touch you again. He’s in jail and he won’t get out of there."

"He did once" Danny pointed out.

"That was different" Blaine said. "You are right. I made a mistake when I thought that he wouldn’t come back. I stupidly made myself forget about him and all those people who wanted revenge. But it’s over. I learned from my mistakes and I won’t let it happen again."

"I just want to feel normal again" Danny whispered.

"You will" Blaine said.

"We all will" Kurt nodded. "But we need time to recover. What happened to us is awful. It’s not easy to forget and get over it. It’s not how things work. You need time to heal and you have to talk about it. I won’t take you to the therapist again if you don’t want to go but you have to talk about your feelings. That’s the only way to get better."

"We should be honest with each other" Danny said, looking from one adult to the other. "All of us."

"That’s right" Blaine nodded. "Kurt and I already discussed this. We need some significant changes in our life to get back to normal and talking about our feelings is an important part of that. And it includes all of us. We are a family, we should trust each other enough to share our fears with each other."

"Starting tonight" Kurt said determinedly. "I think we’ve waited enough. It’s time to discuss everything."

Blaine looked at him in concern. He knew that Kurt felt guilty and he didn’t want him to feel any worse. He still needed time to recover, too. But when Kurt decided something, it was final. He was pretty sure that he couldn’t change his mind either.

~ o ~

They sat down in the living room, forming a circle on the ground. It was nice, Kurt admitted, even if it was so hard for him to sit on the ground. He tried to shut out the pain, not care about it at all. Danny wasn’t the only one who wanted to feel normal again. 

They were silent for a long while. They all knew what to say but it looked like none of them was brave enough to start. It was so hard to talk about their feelings. It was Blaine who spoke up in the end, deciding that he would make it easier for the others if it was possible.

"This is how we should do it" he started. "We have to be honest with each other. Just think about what we should have done differently. I believe we all made mistakes but if we understand the reasons, it’ll make us better."

Kurt knew that he had to start. He made the biggest mistakes after all, he had lied to his loved ones, he had endangered their lives, he had destroyed everything they had had. If someone had to apologize, it was him. But he wasn’t fast enough to start.

"I want to apologize, guys" Danny said quietly. "I know I was awful. I didn’t listen to you when you told me that I should stay away from Alison. I have no idea what happened to me. I… I trusted her so much and believed everything she said."

"You were in love with her, Danny" Blaine said. "It’s fine. Believe me, we all do such things, especially if it’s about people we love."

He and Kurt looked at each other for a long moment.

"It’s not just that" Danny shook his head. "You told me to stay in the house but I didn’t listen to you, even if I knew that I had to be careful. I thought that you were just overreacting, that I could take care of myself. I never thought that things could go so wrong."

He took a deep breath and looked at the adults.

"I’m so sorry. For everything I did and said. I know that I was wrong and that I screwed up everything."

"Don’t say that" Kurt told him.

"That’s true" Danny said. "Things could have been different if I hadn’t left he house that night. They wouldn’t have taken me and… You wouldn’t have broken up."

"We didn’t break up because of you" Kurt said seriously. 

"Kurt’s right. Don’t blame yourself. We had problems way before you were taken and we didn’t break up because of you" Blaine said. "It happened because we didn’t trust each other."

He looked at Kurt and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I’m sorry, too" Blaine said. "I feel responsible and not only because I didn’t tell you about Ethan. I tried to keep you safe so desperately that I forgot that you don’t need me to shelter you from everything."

"I really don’t" Kurt agreed.

"It’s just… I was your bodyguard for so long. I was used to protecting you and I stupidly forgot that we were partners. Equals. That I don’t need to keep you away from danger but fight it with you by my side" Blaine said.

"I was really disappointed in you when you told me about your past" Kurt said honestly. He didn’t want to fight, not at all, just to make things clear. It was truth time after all. "I was afraid that you were a completely different person than the one I fell in love with."

"It’s the past. I was stupid but I’m not like that anymore" Blaine said. 

"I felt like I was left alone" Kurt continued. Now that they started to talk about their feelings, he couldn’t stop. "When you came home without Danny… When-when everything was so frightening and I needed you the most, I felt like you pushed me away."

"You thought that I didn’t care about him. I know" Blaine nodded, remembering their fights back then. "I should have handled things differently. I should have been there for you when you needed me. I should have understood that we took it differently and you needed me to be there."

"I really did" Kurt nodded.

"I felt so guilty" Blaine said. "I kept thinking about what you told me that night. That you wouldn’t talk to me ever again if I came home without Danny. And I did… I knew that I betrayed you and just couldn’t face you anymore. It reminded me on my stupid mistake."

He sighed heavily as he looked at Danny. The boy watched them in silence, hearing about the time when he had been gone for the first time. It must have been really hard for his family.

"I don’t know where it went wrong" Blaine admitted. "I mean… I knew that we weren’t prepared but I was afraid of losing you again… So we attacked the building. Now I know that it was stupid, that I could have gotten you killed…"

"You did it because of me" Kurt said quietly.

"What?" Blaine frowned.

"I was horrible to you. I said awful things and you were desperate to correct the past. It happened because of me" Kurt said quietly. It was his time to talk. He was just too scared of what the others would think about him. "You have to know that I didn’t lie to you because I didn’t trust you. I just thought that I could handle it alone. I was so weak and desperate. I hadn’t heard anything about Danny for weeks and you left… I thought that you didn’t care. I know it was stupid but I was so upset. I was worried about my son and I had a weak moment. That was when the call came."

Kurt closed his eyes as he remembered that night.

"After weeks of fear, I could finally hear your voice again" Kurt said as he turned to look at Danny. "You have no idea how relieved I was. You were alive and I knew I would do everything I had to to get you back."

"That’s why he called you" Danny said. 

"Yes" Kurt nodded. "He planned everything perfectly. He waited until I was alone and desperate enough to do anything he wanted to get you back. I regret lying to both of you but I don’t think I would do things differently. It seemed like the only way to get you back, so I did what he wanted."

"I don’t get it. Why did you have to break up with Blaine?" Danny frowned.

"Because he’s crazy and wanted me to suffer" Blaine explained. "No, that’s not true. He wanted all of us to suffer."

"It was a game" Kurt said. "He knew that I would fail and he would be back then. He wanted to make me feel that it was all my fault. And I think he succeeded. I feel horrible for dragging you into this mess."

"You shouldn’t" Danny said. 

"But…"

"No. He’s right" Blaine agreed. "Yes, we all made mistakes but there’s only one person truly responsible for what happened to us. And that’s Ethan."

"I’m still not sure…"

"Just don’t lie to us anymore" Danny said quietly. "Everything can be fixed, right?"

He looked at the others hopefully. He really wanted to get his family back.

"I promise that I won’t lie to you anymore" Kurt said.

"And I promise that I won’t be the Security God anymore" Blaine said, smiling at Danny. He remembered when the boy had called him that months earlier when he had worried about that blog of him. "I’m not your boss, I know. I won’t be an asshole to you anymore."

"I’ll take home every girl I date and let you question them" Danny said.

They burst into laughing.

"Good idea, honey" Kurt said.

"So… are we good?" Blaine asked, pulling the others close.

"We will be" Kurt said.

He hesitated for a moment but then leaned close to Blaine and pressed a kiss to his cheek. It wasn’t too much but he respected their decision that they would take it slow. Kurt truly believed that they could fix things and he was determined not screw up this time.


	36. Chapter 36

Blaine woke up completely well rested and happy that morning. It was the first time since months that he could have a night of sleep without worry. It was a very good feeling. He sighed happily and inhaled deeply. That was when the delicious smell hit him.

"Hm, I love pancakes" he muttered.

"That’s good because I made enough for a whole army."

Blaine opened his eyes immediately. He was surprised to find Kurt sitting beside him and more surprised when he noticed the tray on his nightstand.

"What…"

"I woke up early and I thought I would surprise you" Kurt shrugged.

"But you should…"

"I’m fine, Blaine" Kurt said. "Besides, you deserve it. For everything you’ve done for us."

"I do what I have to and… Oh, that smells great."

"And here is your coffee. Just as you like it" Kurt said. He grabbed a mug from the tray and raised it in front of Blaine.

Blaine took it from Kurt and hummed happily after the first sip. 

"I could get used to this" he said.

"I promise I’ll make you breakfast every single Sunday morning from now on" Kurt smiled. "But I guess that’s all I can offer. I have to work, you know."

"Me too" Blaine groaned. "Can’t we just stay here forever?"

"Sadly, no" Kurt laughed. "Although I’m done with the shooting, the next one will start soon. I have to get ready for my next role. There’s school for Danny and don’t forget your company."

"I can ask David or Wes to take it over for a while" Blaine shrugged.

"What about the band?" 

"They’ll be fine without me."

"You’re doing this again."

Blaine sighed and put his mug down to take Kurt’s hands into his instead.

"I just don’t want to leave you too soon" he said. "You aren’t ready to go back to the real life and Danny is doing a lot worse. He needs both of us."

"I think he’s doing a lot better than the first time" Kurt said. It was so wrong. It shouldn’t have happened to them again. They should have been safe.

"It’s too early to say that, you know" Blaine said.

"Yeah, I know" Kurt nodded. Only a few days had passed, there was no guarantee that they would get over it so easily. It could get worse in no time. Danny had been doing fine the first time, right until he had left hospital. Then everything went wrong. Who knew what would happen if they returned to their normal lives?

"Hey, come here" Blaine said gently. He pulled Kurt into his arms, the first time since coming home. It felt so right. And it seemed like Kurt needed it just as much as he did. "We’ll be fine. We have each other and we’ll get through this, together. But we have to be careful. I don’t want to rush things. Screw that project, if you don’t feel ready to go back to work, then take a few months off. We’ll be fine. We don’t need that money anyway."

"You want me to stay home?" Kurt asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I want you to be happy" Blaine explained. "And I know very well how hard this period has been for you. I just don’t want you to rush things."

"I think we can afford a few more days. Or weeks" Kurt said quietly.

"That sounds great" Blaine smiled.

"I really missed you, Blaine" Kurt said after a while.

"I missed you, too" Blaine said.

"I… I know I should have talked to you about…"

"Hey, stop" Blaine said gently. "We already talked about this. Yes, you made a mistake but it doesn’t mean you have to apologize over and over again. I understand why you did it and I’m not angry anymore. We can talk about it if you think it’ll help you get over the happenings, but I don’t want you to feel bad. You did what you thought was the best."

"Even if I was so wrong" Kurt sighed.

"You wanted to believe him. That’s understandable" Blaine shrugged. "I know you, Kurt. You always see the better side of people."

"It’s stupid" Kurt grimaced.

"I think it’s cute" Blaine smiled. "I love the way you see things."

"I’m not sure I can be that person anymore" Kurt said honestly. "These few months were like hell for all of us. I realized that the world is such a horrible place, a lot worse than I thought. And Danny had to experience it, too. I… I’m not sure I can trust anyone but you anymore."

"So you trust me?" Blaine asked.

"Of course I do" Kurt said without hesitation.

"That’s a start" Blaine said as he pulled Kurt close and kissed his forehead. "We’ll work on the rest. I’m here and I’ll help you."

Kurt closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He had missed this so much.

~ o ~

Only two days later, they couldn’t even get to the coffee they always drank in Blaine’s room. Kurt knew that they agreed to take slow steps but as he walked into the room with a tray packed with food and drinks and his eyes landed on the half-naked form of Blaine spread across the bed, he almost dropped what he held in his hands.

"Oh, hey" Blaine muttered as he sat up, rubbing his tired eyes, seemingly not aware of the effect he had on Kurt.

"You… I… I mean…"

Yes, Blaine was hot. More than that, he was probably the hottest man of the universe. And Kurt hadn’t seen him like this for a very-very long time. He had forgotten how amazing Blaine looked. Or that he couldn’t resist touching his smooth skin.

Before he knew what he was doing, Kurt placed the tray onto the nightstand and climbed into the bed beside Blaine. Blaine seemingly didn’t mind, or he was just too sleepy to remember their current status. Either way, he didn’t make a move to stop Kurt as he knelt onto the bed beside him and gently touched his chest.

"Does it hurt?" Kurt asked as he ran his fingers down the now healing bruise on Blaine’s chest.

"It’s nothing" Blaine shrugged.

"It looks really bad" Kurt said.

Blaine reached under Kurt’s chin and gently lifted his head. Then nothing happened for a second. The two of them kept looking at each other, not moving, not saying a word. But then Blaine slowly moved forward, until his lips touched Kurt’s. 

Probably none of them expected what happened next. It wasn’t planned at all. But as their lips met, the heat became too much to bear. Kurt quickly sneaked his arms around Blaine and climbed into his lap, needing to be as close to the other man as possible. Blaine moaned when Kurt pulled away, only to move his head downwards, to the sensitive spot on Blaine’s neck he knew so well.

"God, Kurt" Blaine moaned, closing his eyes.

Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hands and pushed him down onto the bed. He quickly got out of his clothes and helped Blaine get rid of his own underwear before grabbing his wrists again. He kept his hold on Blaine’s wrists as his lips moved down Blaine’s body, kissing and licking on his chest, gently biting his nipples and then finding their way down to their destination. Kurt licked the head of Blaine’s cock and was ready to take its entire length into his mouth when a sudden knock on the door interrupted them.

"Guys, you should…"

They jumped away from each other as Danny opened the door and stepped inside. In their haste to cover their naked body, Blaine pushed Kurt behind him but he lost his balance and fell from the bed, moaning in pain.

"Oops" Danny said, quickly looking away. His face was just as red as the others’.

"That door was closed for a reason" Kurt muttered as he stood up with Blaine’s help and quickly grabbed his clothes from the ground.

"What’s wrong?" Blaine asked. Danny wouldn’t disturb them without reason. And it had to be a very good one.

"We have a visitor" Danny said, still not looking at them.

"A visitor? But who…"

Kurt got the answer before the question could leave his lips. Because standing behind Danny was no other than his own father.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Kurt shrieked. No, this couldn’t be happening. He had made such a good job not to let his father see him like this and he had a very good reason to do so. As Burt Hummel looked at the two of them, Kurt wanted to die. He was pretty sure that his dad would have something to say about their behavior and he would share it with them soon.

"I think you should get dressed and meet us outside" Burt said slowly. "Come on, Danny. Let’s make breakfast."

"Okay" Danny said quickly and followed his grandfather out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"We are dead, right?" Blaine asked as he turned to Kurt.

"I guess so" Kurt said.

He buried his face into the pillow, wishing that Ethan had killed him with that bomb. It would have been so much easier than facing his father right now.

~ o ~

Blaine had considered himself lucky so far. Since he hadn’t had a proper relationship before Kurt and he was gay, so he was safe of things like teenage pregnancy, he had avoided serious talks with parents so far. He had never thought that he would get to one at this age. He was an adult man, living with another very adult man and having an almost adult son. People at this age didn’t get into such trouble, it just wasn’t supposed to happen. But here they were, sitting in complete silence in his own living room, waiting for Burt and Danny to finish their conversation and be left alone with his almost father-in-law. He gulped nervously when Danny left, telling them that he had study a lot since he wanted to go back to school as soon as possible. Once the door was shut behind him, Blaine turned to Burt. He knew that he didn’t have to say anything, not that it would help them at all. Burt was here for a reason and something told him that it didn’t help his mood that he had found his son and Blaine naked in the bedroom earlier that morning.

"So… Uhm… What are you doing here, dad?" Kurt asked to break the awkward silence.

"Is this a real question?" Burt asked back.

"Well…"

"I have to tell you, I’m really disappointed in you" Burt said, looking from one man to the other. "In both of you."

"It was just the heat of the moment…" Kurt started but Burt silenced him with one look.

"I thought you were old enough to control yourself when you knew that you could be interrupted" Burt said. 

"I’m sorry" Kurt muttered. He felt like he was 16 again, ashamed and afraid of his father’s reactions.

"At least lock that door the next time" Burt said. He rubbed his forehead, taking a few deep breaths. "But that’s not what I want to talk about."

"Shit" Blaine whispered. He liked Burt but he knew this tone. He had been through this once and he knew what was coming.

"I agree" Burt said, giving him a pointed look. "As I said, I’m really disappointed in you. We are family. I think I deserved a call about what happened to you."

Oh. That explained everything. Kurt bit his lower lip nervously, trying to come up with a good excuse why they hadn’t called his father since that night. He was pretty sure that his dad wouldn’t accept that they didn’t really talk to anyone since coming home from the hospital and used this time to become a real family again. They should have known that he would find out sooner or later from their friends and he would be pissed off for being left out of such a huge thing. And he was right. Burt was really close to all of them and he cared, a lot. They called each other every two days or so and visited each other as often as possible. Of cours ehe was hurt that he had to learn the news from somebody else.

"I’m so sorry but…"

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Burt continued. "First you don’t answer my calls. Then I finally reach your friends and they tell me that that lunatic attacked you and almost killed all of you. Then you don’t answer my calls again, so I have to find out where the hell you are and come here personally because you forgot to inform your worried family about yourselves. Do you want to cause me another heart attack?"

"Dad, please, calm down…" Kurt started but his father wasn’t done.

"You have no idea how worried we were about you. Poor Carole cried through the entire night as I tried to reach you. I had to beg her to stay home because I didn’t want her to hear this" Burt said. "So tell me. What did we do wrong? Why do you keep pushing us away?"

Both men looked away. They understood Burt’s anger. They had been horrible to him and Carole. First they hadn’t let them visit after Danny’s disappearance, then Kurt had practically kicked his father out when he had visited, they had barely called them after the break up and they had let them in insecurity and fear for days. There was nothing to say, they couldn’t make this better. 

"We are sorry, Burt" Blaine said in the end. "I know that you are angry and you have every right to be. We screwed up. I could tell you that we just wanted to be left alone for a while to recover but you are right. We still should have called you to let you know that we were fine."

"You’re damn right" Burt nodded.

"I take full responsibility" Blaine continued, never breaking eye contact with the older man. "You are right. We should have informed you. I mean, I should have informed you when I had a chance. Kurt and Danny were in no condition to talk to you, so I should have taken care of this."

"I was so worried about you" Burt said, the anger from his voice gone. Now he simply looked tired.

"I’m so sorry, Dad" Kurt said quietly. "I won’t let Blaine take responsibility. I am your son, I should have called you. If you want to blame someone, it’s me."

Burt sighed heavily. He wanted to be angry but he loved his family so much, he just couldn’t play the bad parent anymore.

"I’m so glad that you are okay" he said in the end.

"So you aren’t angry with us anymore?" Kurt asked carefully.

"Of course not" Burt said, shaking his head. "I’m just so relieved. I could have missed you all."

"Oh, Dad" Kurt said as he stood up and walked to his father to hug him. Blaine quickly joined them, too, glad that their big talk with Burt Hummel was over so soon. He loved Burt but he could so scary sometimes, especially when it was about his son.

"Can I come out?" Danny asked as he slowly opened his door.

"Of course" Kurt smiled.

"We are fine" Burt said. "Come here."

"Great. I thought I had to stay in there forever" Danny said as he joined them, taking a seat beside his grandfather. "So how long are you staying, grandpa? I hope you won’t go back to Lima too soon. It’s good having you around."

Burt smiled and put an arm around the boy.

"You know that I can’t leave the shop for too long" Burt said.

"But you have just arrived" Danny said, seemingly disappointed. "You have to stay. We really missed you."

"He’s right" Kurt said. "I know it’s been only a few weeks since Christmas but we would love having you around for a little while."

"I have a better offer for you" Burt smiled. "Come home with me."

"What?" Blaine and Kurt asked in unison.

"Don’t look so surprised, you know that you’re always welcome. Besides, I think you need a place to stay while you recover and nobody would disturb you there" Burt said.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other. It was clear that Danny wanted to go but they had to make the decision after all.

"I think we can leave for a few days…" Blaine started.

"It’s not like we had other plans…" Kurt continued.

They turned back to Burt, smiling.

"I guess we’re going to Lima" Danny said excitedly.

"Only for a little while" Kurt said. "Until we are ready to go back to work and school."

"Of course" Burt nodded. He understood that his son and his family couldn’t stay with him forever but he was glad to help them. He knew very well how hard it was for them, they couldn’t even leave the house without hyenas waiting for them outside to get a few photos and come up with some stupid stories that weren’t even true most of the time. Yes, they would be much safer in Lima. People there knew not to mess with Burt Hummel.

"I have to pack my bag" Danny said and disappeared in his room.

Kurt shook his head as he watched his son. That was the first time he really look fine. It was definitely a good sign. And if they were right, they would get over that night a lot easier at home where nothing reminded them on Ethan or what he had done to them. That was all Kurt wanted. To be with his loved ones and live without fear again. He had a feeling that a trip to Lima wasn’t enough for that but maybe it would help him figure out what else he had to do.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> Yes, a new update again. Enjoy!

Kurt closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. It was early in the morning and he was sitting outside in his father’s garden, enjoying his coffee. It was so silent out here, the light chirping of birds and the familiar scents calmed his nerves, so he usually spent this little time he had all for himself alone in the morning. He was always the first one to wake up. He quietly walked out of his room he shared with Blaine now since they had decided that they were ready to sleep together again, especially after the morning when they had been caught by his father. They would have gone a lot farther if Burt and Danny hadn’t stopped them. Kurt like thinking about that day, even if it was embarrassing to think about how uncomfortable they had made his father and themselves feel. But it was a great step towards something wonderful. They shared their bed with each other again, even if nothing happened. He loved sleeping in Blaine’s arms and listening to his steady heartbeat. He had missed it so much.

And he would have enjoyed it a lot more if he had slept. But he just couldn’t. Nightmares kept bothering him in his sleep, he woke up several times at night and he was up early in the morning. He knew that he wasn’t the only one suffering from those nightmares. Blaine woke up with him almost every time, so he couldn’t sleep too well either but it was Danny who made Kurt worried the most. Danny told them so many times that he was fine and he was surely working on it. He spent a lot time with their family, he went out with Carole almost every day, he spent a lot of time with Burt in his shop and read a lot in the garden. But Kurt noticed that once nobody watched him or he thought so, Danny slipped back into depression and it reminded Kurt on the dark time when Danny had come home from his captivity. He had nightmares, too. Kurt woke up several times from sleep, only to realize that not his own demons disturbed him in his rest but Danny’s. He also cried when nobody heard him, when he thought that everyone else was asleep. But Kurt heard that all and he was so worried about his child.

His thoughts didn’t give him much rest, that was why he left the warmth of Blaine’s arms to give him a few hours of real rest and spent the early hours of morning out here, thinking about the things that bothered him the most. It was clear that Danny didn’t want help. He didn’t want to talk to them and he certainly didn’t want to talk to a stranger. He seemed to think that time would solve his problem and he would be able to move on. Kurt wasn’t that sure that it was enough. He could feel it, too. They wanted to forget and move on but there was the fear that held them back. The monster ruining their lives was out there. Even if Blaine told them so many times that Ethan would never come back, the threat wasn’t gone. Ethan was still alive and he could come back for them. Maybe not in a month or a year but when they didn’t expect him at all. Kurt wouldn’t survive that. He couldn’t go through this horror ever again. He just wanted his family safe.

He was shaking again, so he put down his mug and took a few deep breaths. He didn’t want to seem weak. Although nobody saw him right now, his family could join him in any second. They couldn’t find out how he really felt. He was just like Danny. He didn’t want to talk about his fears, he wanted to get over them on his own. Only he wasn’t sure if it was good for any of them.

He jumped when the door opened, the sudden noise scaring him. He tried his best to hide his fear but Blaine saw it. The smile disappeared from his face and he looked at Kurt in concern.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked as he took a seat beside Kurt and put down his mug onto the table.

"Sure" Kurt said.

"You didn’t sleep too much tonight" Blaine pointed out.

"I was thinking" Kurt said.

"You had nightmares again" Blaine said knowingly.

Kurt sighed and leaned his head on Blaine’s shoulder. He had made a promise not to lie to Blaine again and he wouldn’t do that. He was glad that they were together again and didn’t want to ruin anything.

"You should talk to someone" Blaine said after a while.

"I’m fine" Kurt muttered.

"No, you aren’t" Blaine said. "It’s completely normal. It’s been a rough time for all of us. You don’t have to act like everything is fine."

"I just want to get over this" Kurt said.

"I know. And you will" Blaine said gently and kissed Kurt’s forehead. "I’m here for you."

"I know" Kurt said.

"So what’s wrong?" Blaine asked.

"I-I’m not sure" Kurt said. He knew deep inside what bothered him but he didn’t want to tell Blaine. Okay, he wanted to talk about it but he didn’t want to hurt Blaine. He didn’t deserve it.

"Just take your time. We can stay as long as you want to" Blaine said. "You don’t have to rush anything. If you’re more comfortable staying here, we can do that."

"I think I’m ready" Kurt said. "I don’t want to stay in the house anymore. I want to try to go out a little."

"Where should we go?" Blaine asked. "Do you want to take a walk in the park? Or go to a restaurant or…"

"To my dad’s shop" Kurt said. 

"Are you serious?" Blaine asked. Kurt didn’t go to that place too much. It was too noisy and dirty and Kurt didn’t like that. He only went there when he wanted to talk to his father.

"I miss that place" Kurt said.

"We should talk to Burt then. I’m sure he’ll be happy to have some help" Blaine smiled.

"I know" Kurt said quietly. And he needed that help, too.

~ o ~

"You’re quiet, son."

Kurt smiled at his dad. Sure, they had agreed to help Burt in the shop and the others did that but he just stayed with his father and watched him work in complete silence. 

"I guess you want to talk" Burt said knowingly.

"Why do you think so?" Kurt asked.

"Because I know you" Burt said. "You only come here when you want to talk."

"I just want to spend some time outside and this place is safe" Kurt said.

"Kurt."

"Fine" Kurt rolled his eyes. "I want to talk to you."

"Alright" Burt nodded. He left the car he was working on and washed his hands. Then he walked back to his son and sat down beside him.

"I don’t know where to start" Kurt said uncertainly.

"Just say it" Burt said simply. "It’s about that man, right?"

"Right" Kurt nodded.

"You can’t get over it" Burt said.

"Do I have to tell you anything at all?" Kurt smiled.

"I know you" Burt shrugged. "I don’t know what to say, Kurt. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you and I have no idea what you should do. Have you talked to Blaine about it?"

"I don’t think it’s a good idea" Kurt replied.

"Why not?" Burt frowned.

"I don’t want to ruin anything" Kurt said. "I’m so glad that we are together again. It’s… it’s magical, Dad. I don’t want to scare him."

"You know that the guy would do anything for you, right?" Burt said.

"I do" Kurt nodded. "I still don’t think he would understand."

That was why he didn’t talk to Blaine. Blaine was so sweet and positive, he would have listened to him for sure but he didn’t understand Kurt’s feelings. Only one person had similar experience but Kurt wouldn’t bother him with his own troubles, not even if he hadn’t had another choice. His eyes landed on Danny who was working with Blaine in the back of the shop. They had a great time, they laughed a lot, but Kurt could tell that Danny hadn’t had much sleep that night either. They were both suffering from what they had gone through.

"You have to trust him" Burt said in the end. "You know Blaine better than anyone else. You know that he would understand."

"I’m not sure I know what I want" Kurt said. "I want to get over it so badly but it’s so hard… I can’t stop thinking about that night or how it could have ended. I keep having nightmares and I’m scared that Ethan could come back for us."

"He’s in jail, Kurt" Burt said.

"He escaped once" Kurt said bitterly. "Don’t get me wrong, I want to trust Blaine with this, I just… I can’t go through it again. I wouldn’t survive that."

"What do you think would help you believe him?" Burt asked.

That was a good question. Kurt kept thinking about that, knowing that the only way to move on was to make sure Ethan couldn’t touch them anymore. He just didn’t know how to convince himself. It wasn’t that easy. They could have died that night, all of them. They had been through hell, they had been living in fear for months, it wasn’t that easy to forget and act like nothing had happened. 

"I don’t… I don’t know" Kurt said in the end.

"Well, son" Burt sighed as he put his hands on Kurt’s shoulders. "I think that’s something you have to figure out on your own. Take your time. You can stay here as long as you want to but once you return to Los Angeles, I want you to be sure that you’re ready to face that life again."

Kurt smiled and threw his arms around his father. Burt always knew how to make him feel better. He was so glad that he had such a wonderful father.

"Should I talk to the kid, too?" Burt asked.

Kurt pulled away to look at Danny again.

"You noticed it, too" he stated.

"Of course. I’m not stupid" Burt snorted. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No" Kurt said. "I think I should do that."

As soon as possible.

~ o ~

He couldn’t talk to Danny that night, the boy went to sleep earlier than usual and Kurt didn’t want to disturb him. But the next morning when he woke up, a lot earlier than he wanted to, he started walking towards the stairs but the soft noises coming from Danny’s room stopped him. He hesitated for a second but opened the door in the end. 

He thought that Danny was having a nightmare again but the boy was very much awake. He was sitting on the bed with his legs pulled up to his chest, crying quietly. Kurt made sure he made enough noise as he stepped inside. He didn’t want to scare Danny at all.

The boy wiped his face quickly and sat up straight as if everything was alright. Kurt smiled sadly as he sat down beside him. Danny couldn’t fool him. Kurt knew exactly what was going on with him, he felt the same way after all.

"I think we should talk" Kurt said.

"I’m fine" Danny said quickly. He said that so many times, he really wanted to believe it. Only he couldn’t.

"No, you aren’t" Kurt said. "It’s okay. I understand."

"I don’t think you do" Danny said. "I just want to forget. I want to feel normal again."

"I get it" Kurt nodded. "It might seem like everything is fine but it’s just a lie. I’m trying to be strong but it’s so hard. I know how you feel. You are scared."

"How do you know that?" Danny asked.

"Because I feel the same way" Kurt said.

Danny sighed and pulled up his knees again.

"I know it’s insane" he said. "It’s not like he can hurt us anymore. But still…"

"But he’s out there. I get that" Kurt nodded. "I keep thinking about it, too. I have nightmares every single night. Just like you."

"I’m so tired" Danny said.

"I know" Kurt said. He pulled the boy into his arms, sighing heavily. "I wish I could make this easier for you."

"Do you think we will feel better?" Danny asked. "That we can move on?"

"Yes" Kurt said determinedly. "We’ll find the way to get over it. Together."

Danny seemed to accept it for now. He remained silent but he relaxed a bit in Kurt’s arms.

"I want to apologize" Kurt said after a while.

"Why?" Danny frowned.

"I made a horrible mistake when I lied to you" Kurt said. "I tried to keep you safe so badly, I didn’t realize how wrong I was. I feel responsible. You could have gotten over it a lot easier if I hadn’t kept lying to you. And Blaine."

"He would have kept us safe" Danny said quietly.

"I screwed up. I know" Kurt nodded. "I knew it back then. But it was so complicated… Everything seemed to fall apart and we didn’t work together. It was a horrible mistake. And I’m so sorry."

"You should stop blaming yourself" Danny said. "We already talked about this. It wasn’t your fault."

"It kind of was" Kurt said. "If anything had happened to you…"

"Hey, stop it" Danny said. "We survived. We are alive and we’ll get better. We have to."

"I wish I knew what I should do" Kurt said. "I’m your father after all. I should know what to do."

"Parents don’t know everything either" Danny smiled. "Although it would be good to know that Ethan is locked up safely. I know that Blaine said that he couldn’t escape but…"

"But what?" Kurt frowned.

"I think it would be easier to believe if I saw it myself" Danny said honestly. "I know it’s stupid. It’s not like they would let me see him…"

No, Kurt would never let that happen. He wouldn’t let Danny close that man again. But the boy gave him a wonderful idea.

"If I told you that he can’t get out of there… would you believe me?" Kurt asked.

"You don’t know that for sure" Danny pointed out.

"Not yet" Kurt muttered. He finally knew what he should do. 

~ o ~

Blaine was surprised to find Kurt in the bed with him when he woke up that morning. Kurt usually woke up a lot earlier and he was down in the garden when Blaine joined him. But not this time. As he opened his eyes, he found Kurt sitting beside him on the edge of the bed.

"Good morning" Kurt said.

"Good morning" Blaine smiled at him. "Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see you here but I thought you would be in the garden."

"No, I wanted to watch you sleep" Kurt said. "It’s a lot better than sitting down there all alone."

"I agree" Blaine smiled and pulled Kurt close. "Are you alright? You were so silent yesterday."

"I talked to my dad" Kurt said.

"I know. That’s why we went to the shop, right?" Blaine asked.

"I needed time to think" Kurt said.

"About what?" Blaine asked.

"Ethan" Kurt said. "I can’t stop thinking about him."

"Kurt, I know it’s hard to get over it but you can trust me. He won’t be able to get out of there."

"I want to believe you. I do, really" Kurt said. He didn’t want to hurt Blaine but he had to be honest. That was the only way to make their relationship work again. "You have to know that I trust you, completely. But you have to understand that I need this to move on. Not just me. I have to prove Danny that we are safe. I have to help him."

"I think he’s doing better" Blaine said.

"He’s struggling" Kurt said. "He’s having nightmares and I caught him crying this morning again."

"Again?" Blaine asked as he sat up. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because he didn’t want any of us to know about it" Kurt explained. "He tries to heal alone but it’s not working. So we have to help him."

"What should I do?" Blaine asked.

"I know you won’t like this but this is the only way. You trust me, right?" Kurt asked carefully.

"Of course I do" Blaine said without hesitation.

"Alright" Kurt nodded. He took a deep breath before continuing. He knew how Blaine would react. "I want to see Ethan."

"What?" Blaine asked.

"Please, listen to me" Kurt said quickly before Blaine could stop him. "I know you want to keep us safe and I wanted to believe that it could work but I’m not that sure anymore."

"But you just said…"

"I trust you, yes" Kurt said. "That’s not why I want to see him. I… I need to talk to him."

"Kurt, I don’t think it’s a good idea" Blaine said.

"Please, trust me with this" Kurt said. "I can handle it, I know I can. And it’s not like I want to be alone with him. Not at all. I want to talk to him but I want you to be there with me."

"I’m not sure you should do that" Blaine said. "I love you, Kurt. I would do anything for you but I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’m worried that you might have a panic attack or worse. I can’t let that happen."

"I want to feel free again" Kurt said. "I want to be able to leave the house without being afraid. Hell, I want to be able to go back to that place. But I can’t, not until this is done. Please, Blaine. Help me."

Blaine watched him in silence for a good while. If he had had a choice, he wouldn’t let Kurt near that man ever again, let alone let him talk to him. But it looked like Kurt already made his decision and he would get over with it with or without Blaine’s help.

"Fine" Blaine said in the end. "I’m in."

"Seriously?" Kurt asked. It went easier than he had thought.

"Yes. We’ll go to see him. But I have a condition" Blaine said.

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

"If he makes you feel uncomfortable, we leave and never look back. I won’t let him hurt you in any way" Blaine said.

"Alright" Kurt nodded. He knew deep inside that it wasn’t necessary. Yes, he was afraid of that meeting but he had a few more days to get prepared. He would be ready by then. He would face that man again, he would talk to him and when he left, he would be free again.

They would be all free. They had to be.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> I have two chapters for you this time. I planned to upload them in the previous days because I want to post the final chapter here and on ffnet at the same time but I completely forgot about it... We adopted a cat a few days ago, buying her everything she might need, making the house cat-proof and helping her get used to living in a real home kept us busy. She's doing a lot better now, she's such a calm and brave girl. The cat we had before didn't even let us go near him for weeks and didn't leave the bathroom in the first three days. It's so much easier this time.  
> I'm posting two chapters now and I'll try to add the final chapter tonight. I can't promise anything, it's Easter, family visits, Easter Bunny, etc. Oh, I almost forgot. Happy Easter!

Kurt watched his father’s house with a heavy heart. They had spent two weeks with Burt and Carole. They had had a lot of time to relax, heal and talk everything through. But now it was over and he felt like the day when he had left his father’s house to go back to New York. He was nervous like hell. He couldn’t wait to be back home but he was also scared of facing the city again. 

They had gone through an amazing process in the previous days. Once Kurt had figured out what he wanted to do, he was finally able to open up to Blaine and Danny. He was able to talk honestly and it seemed like it helped a lot for his son, too. They were able to smile again, to sleep through a night without nightmares and go out with their family members without being afraid of everyone. Yes, they were ready to go home.

Only Kurt didn’t want to leave. It had been so easy to hide in Lima, where he was safe of everything, where he didn’t have anything to do but enjoy his time with his family. Once they returned to Los Angeles, everything would change. They would return to their normal lives and they wouldn’t have this wonderful peace ever again. Kurt wasn’t sure if he was ready to give up that. But then again, he didn’t have a choice. He had made a decision and even if he was terrified, he would get over with it. He would visit Ethan as soon as Blaine arranged it and face his fears. He had to do that because that was the only way to get over the past for once and for all. He had to be strong enough to face the man who had almost killed him and his family. He just had to.

"Are you sure you don’t want to stay a little longer?" Carole asked as they brought the last bags to Burt’s car.

"We would love to but we have to work" Kurt said. "Blaine left the Warblers to handle the company on their own and the band needs him, too."

"It doesn’t mean you can’t stay" Burt muttered.

Kurt smiled and went to hug him.

"I’m gonna miss you but we have to go" he said. "We are a family. We stay together."

"Not to mention that I missed a lot of my classes" Danny sighed heavily. This year was a disaster for him. He had missed so many days, he wasn’t sure if he could catch up with the others, even if Kurt and Blaine had told the principal what they had been through and made sure Danny could return whenever he wanted to. The boy had no idea how they had made it. Probably offered a nice price for the school to make an exception with Danny.

"That’s not a problem" Blaine said easily. "You’re home-schooled as long as you want to stay home. There’s no rush."

"I miss school, to be honest" Danny said.

"That’s something I never heard you say before" Kurt smiled.

"Still true" Danny shrugged. 

"So you have to go" Carole sighed.

"We’ll be back in the summer break" Kurt promised. "And you’ll come for Danny’s birthday, right?"

"We wouldn’t miss it" Burt said.

"See? That’s not that far away" Blaine said. "and of course you can stay as long as you want to. You’re always welcome."

"Oh, thank you, honey" Carole said as she hugged Blaine.

"Let them go, Carole. They’ll miss their flight" Burt laughed, knowing how hard it was for his wife to let the others return home. It had been so good to have them around, the house would be so quiet without them.

"Call me when you arrive" Carole said and quickly hugged Kurt and Danny, too.

"Of course" Kurt nodded. "Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine."

~ o ~

Returning home was easier than Kurt had thought. He had been scared of facing their house again, stepping into the living room, reliving all those horrible memories from before. There was no going back, though. The house Blaine’s had rented was too small for the three of them and they didn’t need it anymore now that they were back together. It had been his decision to go straight home, to make it easier for themselves to get back to their normal lives.

He walked into the living room carefully, afraid of flashbacks. But as he stepped into the room, his eyes widened in surprise. The living room was nothing like before. The walls were freshly painted, some of the furniture replaced and nothing was where it had been before. He looked at Blaine next, hoping that he had an answer for his question.

"I consulted doctor Snow while we were in Lima" Blaine explained. "She said that it would help if we made some changes where it happened."

Kurt opened his mouth but nothing came out. He couldn’t believe Blaine had time for this beside taking care of them as well. He loved him more than ever.

"We can change it if you don’t like it" Blaine said uncertainly.

"It’s amazing" Danny said and threw his arms around Blaine.

"I’m glad you like it" Blaine smiled and then turned to Kurt. "What do you think?"

"I think you’re the most amazing person of the world" Kurt said honestly.

Blaine’s smile grew wider as he pulled Kurt closer and kissed him.

"Do you want to see the other rooms?" he asked.

"You changed those, too?" Kurt asked with wide eyes.

"Just a little" Blaine said awkwardly. "I thought you wouldn’t mind…"

"Come on! We have to see them!" Danny said excitedly and ran towards the stairs without waiting for the others.

Kurt smiled as he watched his son. It was good to see him happy again.

He took Blaine’s hand and they walked up the stairs together. By the time they reached the top of the stairs, Danny explored half of the rooms, stopping at his own.

"It doesn’t have to stay like this" Blaine said. "We can change anything you want. I just thought…"

"I love it" Danny said honestly. "You made a great job here."

"I just made a few phone calls and let others do the job" Blaine shrugged. "You should thank Quinn and Tina, they made the biggest part of the job."

"I can’t believe they did this for us" Kurt shook his head. He barely saw anything from their own bedroom but he knew that it was perfect. Blaine never did anything bad.

"They were happy to help" Blaine said. "I think we should invite them, once we are settled and you feel ready, of course."

"We can do it today" Kurt said.

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked.

"Of course" Kurt said as he put an arm around Blaine’s waist. "I miss them. And the others, too."

"They want to see you, too" Blaine said. 

"Then I’ll call them" Kurt decided. He felt full of energy and couldn’t wait to meet his friends. It was so good to be home.

~ o ~

"Quinn, you look amazing!" Kurt said as he opened the door for her and Puck.

"That’s the last thing I would say about myself" Quinn said as she walked inside, moving slowly, with a hand on her huge baby bump.

"It’s getting hard, right?" Tina smiled knowingly from where she was sitting on the couch with her own daughter in her arms.

"I hate being pregnant" Quinn said. Jeff jumped up to offer her the nearest place to the door and Quinn took it gladly.

"It surely isn’t that bad…" Jeff started but one glare from Quinn was enough to silence him.

"It’s like being torn apart from the inside" Quinn said. "I have no control over my body. Everything hurts, I have to pee in the worst moments, the baby doesn’t let me sleep at night…"

"Just a few more weeks, babe" Puck told her. "You are so strong and I’m so proud of you."

"You two are sweet" Kurt said.

Quinn looked at him next and smiled when she saw Kurt and Blaine hold hands. It was definitely a good surprise.

"Does it mean that you two…"

"Yes" Kurt nodded.

"Definitely yes" Blaine said.

"I told you!" Tina shrugged. "I’m the best matchmaker of the world."

"You mean we are" Wes said. "Don’t get me wrong, honey, you are amazing but you wouldn’t have gone anywhere without our help."

"That’s true" David nodded.

"We appreciate your help" Blaine said.

"Even if you lied to both of us" Kurt added.

"We had to do something" Puck shrugged.

"So you were all in it, right?" Kurt asked.

"Of course" David smiled.

"Well, almost" Quinn sighed. "They left me out of everything because they didn’t think I could be useful."

"Don’t be mad, babe" Puck said. "You know that we only wanted the best for you."

"I want to be angry with you but it’s so hard when you look at me like this" Quinn said.

"I’m amazing. I know" Puck winked.

"Are you feeling better?" Tina asked as she turned to her friends.

"A lot better" Kurt nodded. They were healed from their injuries and he believed their souls would heal with time, too. "Spending some time with dad and Carole was definitely good for us. And the changes you made here helped a lot, too."

"So you like it?" Quinn asked.

"We love it. You made a great job here" Kurt said.

"I’m glad you like it" Quinn said. "We were afraid of what you would think."

"It was a great idea. I was afraid of returning home but thanks to your help, we’re not scarfed of this place anymore. You made it home for us again" Kurt said honestly.

"Where’s Danny?" Quinn asked. "Is he home? I wanna see him, too."

"He’s…"

They all jumped when they heard a loud thud and one of Jeff and Nick’s kids screamed. Jeff groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. He wished they had had a day without the triplets causing them trouble.

A few seconds later Danny walked down the stairs. He seemed so calm as if the triplets didn’t annoy him at all. He simply walked to the adults and sat down onto the carpet beside Tina and Emma.

"What happened?" Kurt asked.

"The usual" Danny shrugged. "I won’t clean up after them."

"Are they alright?" Blaine asked in concern.

Jeff simply snorted.

"I thought you knew my kids" he said.

True to his words, the triplets laughed and something heavy hit the ground again.

"I think they’re destroying my beautiful new room right now" Danny sighed. He turned around to face Emma and smiled at her. "Hey, baby girl. Did you miss me?"

Emma smiled back immediately. She loved Danny, he was probably her favorite from all the kids. Danny always knew what to say and how to play with her and Emma enjoyed his company a lot.

"Do you want to hold her?" Tina asked.

"Sure" Danny said. "Can I take her out to the garden?"

"Of course, honey. Thank you" Tina said gladly.

Danny pulled the baby into his arms and walked to the glass door with her while singing her softly. The others watched them in silence until the door was closed behind them. Then Tina looked at Kurt, seemingly worried.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

"As much as he can be" Kurt said quietly.

"He seems so…"

"I know" Kurt nodded. Danny was different. Even if he acted like everything was fine, people who knew him could tell that he wasn’t. He was just… too fine. 

"I wish we could help him" Quinn said.

"We’re working on it" Kurt said.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked.

Kurt looked at Blaine and took a deep breath before turning back to his friends.

"We’re going to visit Ethan" he said in the end.

"What?" their friends asked in unison.

"Kurt, I don’t think it’s a good idea" David said carefully.

"Yes, it is" Kurt said determinedly. "I know that you’re worried about us but I know what I’m doing. I just… I have to see him. I have to be sure that he can’t get out of there."

"And you want to let him do that?" Jeff asked in disbelief, looking at Blaine.

"Yes" Blaine said without hesitation. "We’re going to do it together."

"Guys, I don’t think it’s the best for you" Tina said in concern. 

"I have to" Kurt said, hoping that his friends would understand. "You have no idea what it is like. Living in fear, being afraid of him all the time… I have to do this."

"Kurt, you have to believe us. He can’t get out of there. We made sure he couldn’t" Nick said.

"I know you did your best but I have to see it with my own eyes" Kurt said. "Please, don’t try to talk me out of this. It won’t work."

Heavy sighs followed his words but Kurt didn’t look at any of his friends. Or Blaine. He knew that none of them wanted him to face that monster again but he would do that, no matter what the others thought. He wanted to heal so badly. He wanted to pull his child into his arms and tell him that they had nothing to be scared of. He had to o this for themselves. So he would go there, he would talk to Ethan himself and then they would finally be able to move on. He had to do this for his family.

~ o ~

Ethan had been close to death so many times in his life. He had had different feelings about it but fear hadn’t been one of them. He had thought for so long that he wasn’t even capable of fear at all. He wasn’t weak. Fear was for weak people. But now that he was locked away from the world, living his life in the same boring way, doing the same day after day, in a cage like an animal, he started to worry about himself. Sure, he trusted Mick, but so many days had passed since being brought here and there was no sign of his most trusted man or anybody else coming for him. So fear finally found him. It was in his dreams, in the air around him, everywhere he went. For the first time in his life, he was scared of being left alone.

It was all Anderson’s fault. He should have been slower. He shouldn’t have been able to find him so fast, let alone overpower him. His father would have been so disappointed in him. He should have had another plan, he should have had more people ready, he should have made steps to ensure this never happened. But it had. And now he was here, all alone, the place he had tried to avoid so badly. He just wished he had a chance to take revenge. He wanted to hurt Blaine so badly, he wanted to squeeze the life out of him with his bare hands. He wanted to torture him but first he wanted to torture his family. Yes, he wanted to kill them all. They deserved to die.

He was pulled out of his sweet thoughts one morning. He had a visitor. Ethan smiled as he pushed himself up from the small, hard bed and made his way to the door. He had been locked away from the others most of the time, not that he cared. He didn’t want to spend more time with those rats than absolutely necessary. He knew that Blaine had done this, to ensure that Ethan couldn’t get in touch with anybody, but it was fine. He was still excited to know that somebody came to see him. He knew who it could be. Mick wouldn’t let him rot in here, he had found someone to get in touch with Ethan, and it was just the matter of time and he would get out of here. He would be free again. And then he could take revenge.

"Stay here" the guard said as he led Ethan to a small room without windows.

Ethan took his place and let the man handcuff him. He smiled when he realized that he carefully avoided his gaze. Of course. He had seen it so many times since being here. They were scared of him.

"So who’s that mysterious visitor of mine?" Ethan asked conversationally.

The man simply ignored him. He quickly checked on the handcuff and joined the other two men at the door. Ethan leaned back on his chair when he was left alone, wondering who could have visited him. It had to be the lawyer. Mick must have found someone who helped them get out of here, just like the previous time. Yes, he was going to get out of here in no time.

He was surprised for a moment when the door opened again. The man walking inside was the last one he expected to see here.

"Blaine Anderson" he said slowly as Blaine stepped inside. "What a surprise."

"You didn’t expect me to come here, right?" Blaine asked as he joined Ethan at the table.

"Not really" Ethan said. "I thought you were too busy to waste any time for me, old friend."

Blaine snorted. They had never been friends.

"How’s your family doing?" Ethan asked. "Do they miss me?"

"On the contrary" Blaine said.

"But you’re still here" Ethan said. "Tell me, Blaine, what can I do for you?"

Blaine didn’t reply. He simply stared at him.

"Oh, I get it" Ethan said. "Things didn’t work out the way you expected, right? You were too late. Even if you caught me in the end, I already destroyed everything you had. I took everything away from you and now you’re all alone. Just like me."

"I’m nothing like you and I’ll never be" Blaine said.

"Are you sure?" Ethan asked as he leaned closer. "Now that you lost the love of your life, you have nothing to live for. Maybe you don’t feel it yet but you will. I wouldn’t give you more than a year. You’ll change, Blaine. You’ll understand how bad being alone is and you’ll come back to beg for my forgiveness. To help you survive."

"Wow" Blaine smiled. "You’re crazier than I thought."

"I know a lot more about life than you do" Ethan shrugged. "I’m just trying to help you."

"I don’t need your help" Blaine said.

Ethan opened his mouth to say something but then the door opened again and Kurt walked in. He was pale and seemingly scared but he slowly made his way to the table and took a seat beside Blaine, squeezing his hand.

"That’s certainly a surprise" Ethan said as he watched them. "I guess I was wrong."

"Yes, you were" Kurt said confidently. "You tried to destroy everything we had but guess what? It only brought us closer to each other."

"That’s right" Blaine said. "We should thank you."

That wasn’t okay. They were supposed to hate each other, they were supposed to be depressed and scared and alone and...

"See? You don’t know us after all" Blaine said.

"That doesn’t matter" Ethan said. "You can’t honestly think that you’re safe while I’m around. I’ll get out of here and go after you again. I’ll get you and believe me, I won’t make such a mistake again. I’ll kill you all."

"Does he think that anyone believes him?" Kurt asked a she turned to Blaine.

"I think he does" Blaine sighed.

"Then listen to me carefully" Kurt said as he turned back to Ethan. "We made steps to ensure that you can’t get out of here. Ever."

"I picked your guards personally" Blaine smiled.

"Oh, and we found him a nice place to stay on the east coast" Kurt added. "Far-far away from you where he can’t get in touch with you."

"You’re idiots" Ethan snorted. "Do you think he won’t find a way to flee on his way there?"

"He tried" Blaine nodded. "I guess I know him too much. He didn’t have a chance."

"He looked so pissed when he figured out that there was no way out of there" Kurt nodded. "It was almost funny."

"You…" Ethan was so angry, he could barely talk. "He’s my best man. He needs to stay with me!"

"Not anymore" Blaine said. "See? You’re all alone. There’s no one to help you and there’s no way out of here. You’ll stay here for the rest of your life."

"We’ll see about that" Ethan hissed.

"Oh, you should believe me" Blaine smiled. "You know, my company is the biggest one in the city and I have connections everywhere. It wasn’t that hard to make a few steps for our safety. But don’t worry, I picked my best men to watch you and make sure you can’t get in touch with anyone."

Ethan simply stared at them. For the first time in his life, he felt defeated. And so alone. It was a horrible feeling.

"Oh, one more thing" Kurt said as he leaned closer to the man. "If you come near my family again, I’ll kill you."

"You should believe him" Blaine added. "He can be really scary when it’s about his family."

"I’ll find a way out of here" Ethan said when he finally found his voice. Too bad the others seemed to be done here and walked to the door. "I’m not done! Come back here!"

"Enjoy your time here" Blaine said. "I would like to say that we’ll never forget you but I don’t want to lie. Goodbye, Ethan."

"I said come back!" Ethan shouted. "Can’t you here me? I’ll get out of here, I’ll find you and…"

Blaine simply slammed the door behind them. He didn’t want to listen to this anymore. He led Kurt down the corridor, until they were in a safe distance from the door.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern.

"I-I will be" Kurt said shakily. "I just need to…"

He threw his arms around Blaine and inhaled deeply.

"It’s okay" Blaine said. "I’m here and I won’t let anything happen to you again."

"No. We won’t let that happen" Kurt corrected him.

"True" Blaine nodded. They were in this together and there was no one to stop them.

They made their way home as soon as possible. Kurt wanted to see his son so badly and tell him that they were finally safe, that there was nothing to be worried about because he and Blaine took care of everything. Danny was already waiting for them in the living room with Nick and Jeff. 

"Where have you been?" Danny asked. "I woke up and you weren’t here. They don’t want to tell me anything."

Kurt walked to him and pulled him into his arms.

"Kurt, what’s wrong?" Danny asked uncertainly.

"Nothing" Kurt told him but didn’t let go. "Nothing is wrong anymore. Because we are safe."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"We visited him today" Kurt said. 

"Not him…" Danny said with wide eyes. He started shaking just from the thought of Kurt and Blaine being close to that man.

"There’s nothing to be scared of, honey" Kurt said. "I promised you that I would go see myself that he’s locked away safely where he can’t hurt us anymore. So I did that."

He laughed as he pulled Danny into his arms again.

"It’s over" Kurt said. "He’s gone and he won’t come back anymore."

He was crying. He felt so relieved that he couldn’t stop crying. And he wasn’t the only one. Danny tightened his arms around him and didn’t turn his head to look at him but Kurt heard his quiet sobs. Blaine gave them a minute and then walked closer to his family. He threw his arms around them and pulled them close.

"Is it real?" Danny asked after a while.

"Yes, it is" Blaine smiled. "It’s over."

The threat was gone and they finally had a chance to be happy again. Kurt got a sudden idea while standing there with his family. There was one more thing he had to do. He only had the find the perfect moment.


	39. Chapter 39

The spring brought great changes to the Anderson-Hummel family. As the weather slowly became better, so became the family’s life lighter and easier. It was a long road they had to take but they were together and there was nothing holding them back anymore. It was probably the best period of their lives actually. They enjoyed their time together and they talked a lot easier to each other than before. There were no secrets, no hidden thoughts. They learned to trust each other again and their bond became stronger than ever.

Kurt Hummel was happy with his life again. It had been so hard at first but now everything seemed to be perfect. His child was healthy and happy, he didn’t have panic attacks anymore and he became one of the best students of the school. Although he had been worried that Danny’s behavior was too perfect, the boy reassured him that he had nothing to worry about. Danny found his place, he got new friends, real friends, so he didn’t feel lonely anymore. The fact that they were a family again only made everything better.

Kurt and Blaine were doing fine, too. More than fine, their relationship was stronger than before. It was like the first time when everything had been so fresh and intense. They got to know each other again and discovered new things together. Things they had never tried before but made their relationship so much better. They also made sure they spent enough time together, so they didn’t get lost in the working days. Blaine let his friends take care of the company, he only joined them when they had to talk about something important, he focused on the band instead, so he could go home in time almost every day and had enough time for his family. Kurt slowed down a bit, too. He still worked on his new movie but that was all for now. He didn’t take on more projects and decided to take a longer break that summer before going back to work again. 

So they seemed to be fine. Kurt truly believed that things could only get better for them. As they got closer to Danny’s birthday, he became more excited than before. Not only because it was his son’s 16th birthday, one of the most important days of his life, but also because he planned some great things for them. He only didn’t know how exactly do what he had to. It had to be a surprise, a wonderful one.

He watched his son get ready for school that morning, still planning what he wanted to do that day. He took the day off, so he could get ready for Danny’s party that evening and while doing so, he would get ready with his surprise as well. At first he had thought that he would do it in front of everyone but as the day came, he came to the decision that he would wait until the party was over. It would be only the three of them and that was how he wanted it. Just his family, nobody else. They didn’t need audience for this.

"Is everything alright?" Danny asked.

Kurt looked at his son, already wearing his uniform, seemingly ready for school. He smiled at him and pushed himself up from the chair.

"Of course" he said. "I’m just thinking about your party."

"I already told you, you don’t have to throw a huge party. It could be a simple dinner or something" Danny shrugged.

"It’s your 16th birthday" Kurt said. "It’s a huge thing."

"Well, I don’t feel any different than yesterday" Danny said.

"That’s not the point" Kurt said. "Come on. You’ll be late from school."

They walked out of the house where Blaine was already waiting for them. Danny frowned as his eyes landed on the new car waiting for them on the driveway.

"Why do you need a new car?" he asked.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other, smiling.

"Do you like it?" Blaine asked.

"I don’t know..."

"You should see it from inside" Blaine said and opened the door for Danny. "Come on."

Danny sighed and got inside. He had no idea why the others were so excited. Okay, it was a nice car but he liked the others, too.

"So?" Blaine asked as he took his seat beside Danny.

"It’s nice" Danny said.

"Dad said that we should choose this" Kurt said and turned to Blaine. "Do you want to tell him?"

"Of course" Blaine smiled.

"Tell me what?" Danny asked.

"This is yours" Blaine said.

Danny didn’t say anything. He watched the others with wide eyes for a while before it finally hit him.

"You bought me a car?" he asked.

"Exactly!" Kurt laughed. "Do you like it?"

Danny looked around again. This was his car, his own baby… He couldn’t believe it. He reached out to touch the dashboard and inhaled deeply. He already loved the smell.

"Can I drive it?" he asked.

"Once you get your license" Blaine said. 

"I guess I have to hurry with that then" Danny smiled. "Thank you, guys. This is the best birthday present ever."

Kurt and Blaine smiled at each other. They had been worried that Danny wouldn’t like their choice but it looked like they had made a good decision.

"We should go" Blaine said after a while. "You’ll be late from school."

"Right" Danny sighed. "Can we take it to the school?"

"Of course" Blaine nodded. "And we go to another ride after your classes. If Kurt agrees."

"Just come back in time. I don’t want you to be late from your party" Kurt said.

"We won’t" Danny promised.

~ o ~

Kurt spent the whole day at home, getting ready for the party. His father and Carole arrived just before lunch, so they ate together and then prepared everything they needed. He was so excited about this day. Not only because of the party but the evening after that. His dad knew about his plan and he offered Kurt to stay in a hotel that night, so his son had a chance to get over with his plan. Kurt had protested, of course, telling him that there was no need to spend money for a hotel room when they had so many rooms and they wouldn’t mind having their family around, but Burt could be just as stubborn as his son and there was no chance to change his mind. So Kurt finally accepted that his father and Carole would leave after the party, glad that they also came up with a good explanation, so Kurt didn’t have to get into lies again.

When Danny came home from school, everything was ready. Kurt and Blaine had invited their friends, too, but they had agreed that they wouldn’t do anything huge. Danny wanted a quiet party, so it would be just a few of them, without the kids. Kurt was sad when he realized that they hadn’t invited any of Danny’s friends, probably because he didn’t have any. He hung out with Puck’s oldest son sometimes and it seemed like he got a few friends at school, too, but they weren’t to close, definitely not close enough to spend his birthday together. Sometimes Kurt thought that it was his fault. He had tried to keep his son safe so hard that Danny had no chance to live like a normal teenager. He spent too much time at home, he barely went out with other kids, and he was too scared of making new friends, so he was too careful most of the time. Kurt really hoped that it would change with time. Danny seemed to do a lot better than before, maybe he would be able to move on someday.

"Grandpa!" Danny cried out happily when he spotted his grandfather standing at the table full of food. He ran to him and threw his arms around him.

"Happy birthday!" Burt said.

"I can’t believe you are here!" Danny smiled. "Where’s Carole?"

"In the kitchen" Burt said. "She’s getting ready with your cake."

"I told you that you didn’t have to do anything fancy" Danny said as he turned to Kurt.

"It’s your 16th birthday" Kurt shrugged.

"I heard that they had showed you the car" Burt said. "Do you like it?"

"You have to see it yourself. It’s amazing" Danny said excitedly. "Blaine and I took it to a ride after school. It sped down the street like a rocket."

Kurt turned to look at his boyfriend.

"What about speed limit, Blaine?" he asked.

"Uhm… we weren’t that fast" he muttered.

"If he breaks that car before he gets his license…"

"Weren’t you the one who drove off with Mercedes like a lunatic right the day after you got your car?" Burt asked suddenly.

Kurt turned scarlet in a blink.

"Only because I had to test its limits" Kurt said.

"Sure" Burt smiled.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be careful" Danny promised. "I still need to practice, though. Maybe you could give me a few lessons. As the most responsible driver I know."

Those words made Kurt the happiest person of the world.

"Of course, honey" he said. "I’ll teach you everything."

"The cake is ready" Carole said as she walked into the room. "Boys, would you help me get it in h… Oh, the birthday boy is here!"

"Hey, grandma" Danny greeted her quickly before Carole pulled him into her arms.

"You’re becoming just as tall as your dad used to be" Carole said. "Just look at you. You’re such a handsome young man."

"I got the best genes" Danny said.

"You’re still so skinny. Do you eat enough?"

"Leave the boy alone, Carole" Burt said and pulled his wife away from Danny. 

"More than enough, grandma" Danny said and turned to the table to check on the food. It had been a long day and it seemed like Kurt had made every kind of food Danny liked. "Hm, those sandwiches look good."

"I’ll get you a few of them" Carole said and quickly grabbed a plate, as if Danny was still a small boy and needed her help. Not that she acted any differently in Lima. Danny was her little grandson and he would always be. "Boys, you should bring the cake in here before the other guests arrive. I’ll take care of this."

"Of course, Carole" Blaine smiled. Some things never changed.

The others were late but it wasn’t a surprise. They promised every single year that they would be here in time but they never succeeded. They still had a great time. Danny had a lot to tell his grandparents, he talked a lot about school and the new clubs he wanted to try in the next school year. Kurt smiled as he listened to him. Danny had plans for the future. It was wonderful. It meant that everything would be alright.

The others finally arrived and the room was filled with people and presents so suddenly. All of the Warblers were there and Tina and Puck manage to come over for a short time, too.

"The girls couldn’t make it but they made me promise to give you this and wish you happy birthday" Tina said after she hugged Danny and pushed a big box into his hands.

"What can be in here?" Danny wondered as he gently shook the box. He loved presents. Even if he didn’t want a huge party, he was happy that he got so many things for his birthday.

"Open it" Tina said excitedly.

Danny quickly opened the box and pulled out a dark brown leather jacket.

"Wow" he said.

"Wow" Kurt said almost at the same time.

"I know where they bought it if you want one for yourself" Tina smiled.

"I definitely want one" Kurt said.

"You would be so sexy in a leather jacket" Blaine purred into his ear.

"Go and get yourself a room" Jeff said as he put an arm around Danny and led him away from the others. "They’re unbelievable, aren’t they?"

"We have something for you, too" Nick said and motioned towards the two boxes on the coffee table.

"Me too" Puck said as he stepped to them. "Quinn says she’s sorry she couldn’t do it this year but given the circumstances..."

"It’s fine" Danny said. "It must be really hard for her right now."

"You have no idea" Puck laughed. Ever since their baby boy had arrived, they didn’t have a single moment of peace. It had been hard with the other kids but this one… It was like he wanted to kill them all. He cried all the time and it seemed like he never slept. 

"So you’re 16" Jeff said. "It’s the most beautiful time of your life. I remember when we were so young did the stupidest things like…"

Jeff looked at his husband and it became clear that Nick didn’t want him to tell Danny their crazy stories now. Or ever.

"Just forget about it" Jeff said quickly.

"What do you mean you did the stupidest things?" Danny smirked.

"You should just open your presents" Nick said. "Don’t listen to him. You know that he’s crazy."

"Hey!"

"Yes, you are" David nodded in agreement.

"Just don’t do anything crazy and you’ll be fine" Wes said.

"Don’t skip your classes if you want to graduate…"

"...Don’t drink before your classes are over. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than throwing up on your math teacher…"

"...and always wear condom" Puck said. "You can’t believe chicks. They are really tricky."

"Uhm… thank you, guys" Danny said slowly. He started to think that Nick was right because nothing Puck or Jeff said made any sense. He couldn’t imagine himself doing any of those things anytime soon. 

"You’re welcome" Puck said.

Luckily, Danny was saved from further advice as Kurt grabbed his hand and pulled him back to his cake, probably because he had heard what they talked about. Danny felt so relieved. He loved the guys but they must have had some crazy experiences if they thought he would do something stupid like that. He had been through a lot of crazy things to be enough for his teenage years. He didn’t need any more adventures.

The afternoon passed quickly and most of the guests left. Carole and Burt stayed behind to help them clean up a bit before saying goodbye themselves. Danny was disappointed when his grandparents left, telling them that they had booked a room in a hotel because they wanted to have some privacy. They had all the privacy they needed in Lima, they shouldn’t have left so quickly.

"There must be a reason" Blaine shrugged. "Come on. Let’s watch a movie."

That was the moment when Danny noticed that something wasn’t right with Kurt. He knew the man good enough to know that he was nervous for some reason. And it made Danny nervous, too. The last months had taught him that it could only mean something bad.

Unfortunately, it only became worse with time. It seemed like Kurt was miles away and didn’t pay attention at all. Danny watched him in worry. Something must have happened. Something horrible like...

"Okay, stop" he said suddenly and paused the movie, then turned to Kurt. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing" Kurt said.

"You are nervous. You have to tell us why" Danny said. "Is… Is something wrong?"

Kurt blinked in surprise. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had forgotten that he wasn’t alone.

"No, everything is fine" he said. He had been in the middle of a serious conversation with himself because he had just started to think that his timing wasn’t right and he should wait a little longer with his surprise. But he also wanted to get over with it. But he didn’t want to ruin Danny’s birthday. It was a hard decision to make. Even harder now that everyone was looking at him.

"He’s right. You seem nervous" Blaine said.

"I’m fine" Kurt said.

"Kurt, we talked about this…" Blaine started.

"Stop worrying. Everything is alright" Kurt said.

"You’re a terrible liar" Danny shook his head.

"Kurt, if there’s something wrong, you have to tell me" Blaine said, starting to get worried. They had been through enough to know that things could turn bad so quickly. 

"Wait. It has to do something with grandpa and grandma. They left so quickly" Danny said.

"Is something wrong with them?" Blaine asked in worry.

"Oh, my God! Grandpa has cancer again" Danny said with wide eyes.

"No, he hasn’t" Kurt said.

"Then what’s going on?"

"I want to marry Blaine!" Kurt blurted out.

They fell silent. Kurt’s admission came so suddenly that they didn’t know what to say. At least for a whole minute.

"You want to marry me?" Blaine asked, still not believing what he had heard. Sure, they had been there once but then so much had happened to them and they had been so far from marriage. But… But Kurt wanted to marry him.

"Yes, I do" Kurt said. He had imagined proposing Blaine so many times but never like this. It just wasn’t right. Not to mention that it was Danny’s birthday and now he knew for sure that the timing wasn’t right. He sighed and turned to his son. "I’m so sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to ruin your day…"

"Are you kidding? You’re getting married!" Danny smiled. Then he realized that Blaine was still so quiet and quickly turned to him. "You’re getting married, right?"

"I…"

"You don’t have to say anything right now" Kurt said hastily. "And-and you can say no. Or maybe. We really don’t have to get married if you don’t want to, I just… It was a bad idea."

"No, it wasn’t" Blaine said quietly.

"Excuse me?" Kurt asked.

Blaine stood up to join Kurt and took his hands.

"I want to marry you" Blaine said honestly.

"I… you…"

"He said yes" Danny said helpfully.

"Oh, God" Kurt said. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. Probably both. "I… Uhm… Ring! Damn, I should have gotten you a ring…"

"Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered" Blaine said and to Kurt’s surprise, he pulled out a familiar box from his back pocket.

"That’s… that’s the ring…"

"Yes, it’s yours" Blaine nodded. "I thought you might want it back one day, so…"

"So you keep it in your pocket?" Danny asked.

"I might have thought about proposing" Blaine shrugged.

"So you’re getting married" Danny smiled.

"I guess we are" Blaine said. He took out the ring from the box and placed it on Kurt’s ring finger where it belonged. "For real this time?"

"For real this time" Kurt nodded in agreement.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone!  
> This is the final chapter of my Warbler series, I hope you like it.  
> People keep asking me about my stories. I usually post something new when one of my stories ends, but I don't have enough free time to work on a new project right now. I never run out of ideas, though. I'll publish my newest story in June, after my exams.

Kurt looked at his reflection and took a deep breath. Everything seemed to be fine. Hell, he knew that everything was fine. Not only because he had made sure nothing could go wrong but also because he had the best wedding planner of the city, someone who really cared about him and his fiancé and promised them the most perfect wedding possible. But why was he so nervous then?

His wedding… God, it was the day. He was going to marry Blaine. He was going to be Blaine’s husband. Kurt smiled. His husband. He already loved that. He couldn’t wait to say it out loud. He was still worried that Blaine might change his mind and call off the wedding in the last moment. He knew deep inside that it was insane. They had been together for ten whole years. It was a lot, but they still loved each other, if not more than before. Things seemed to be so great between them lately, it could only mean that everything would be fine, right? Okay, he really wanted to get over with this. He hated waiting, especially before such an important event.

"You seem nervous."

Kurt turned around and smiled at his father who was now standing in front of him. Burt watched his son proudly before stepping to him and pulling him into his arms.

"What was that for?" Kurt asked.

"I can’t believe you’re getting married" Burt said, blinking hard to fight back his tears. "I’m so proud of you, son."

"Dad, are you crying?" Kurt smiled.

"No, of course not" Burt said and reached out to get rid of the evidence as quickly as possible. "I’m so happy for you, though. And I know for sure that your mom feels the same way, wherever she is."

Kurt smiled sadly. He wished his mother had been here to see him get married. She would have been so happy.

"I can’t believe you’re finally getting married" Burt said again. "To be honest, I already gave up on you."

"Thanks" Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Can you blame me? I waited so long for the big news, but time just passed and you never said you would get married at all. I thought it would happen a lot earlier, to be honest, not after ten years, when you already have an almost adult son…"

"Dad, could we not talk about this right now? It’s kind of embarrassing" Kurt said.

"I’m just kidding, son" Burt said. "You know that I’m happy for you two."

The door opened again and Danny stepped inside, fully dressed, with his phone and a large amount of papers in his hands. He checked the time on his phone and then walked to the others.

"Everything is ready" he said. "Now let me check on you…"

His eyes landed on his grandfather and he shook his head, sighing heavily.

"Where’s your tie, grandpa?" he asked.

"I don’t wear ties. They are uncomfortable" Burt said.

"That doesn’t matter, you’ll survive for an hour or two" Danny said. "Don’t worry. I knew you would try, so I have another one for you."

He put down everything and pulled out a black tie from his pocket. He quickly stepped to his grandfather and fixed the tie around his neck before Burt could protest.

"See? Perfect" he said.

"I hate ties" Burt muttered.

"Your son is getting married" Danny said. His eyes landed on Burt’s baseball cap next and pulled it down from the older man’s head.

"Hey!"

"Again, you son is getting married" Danny said slowly. "Everything has to be perfect when I’m in charge of the wedding."

"Alright, Mr Wedding Planner" Burt sighed.

"We have five more minutes" Danny said as he checked the time again. "You should wait outside. We’ll join you soon."

"Okay" Burt said quietly. He knew that it was better to follow the orders. Danny took his role really seriously. It reminded him on his own wedding what Kurt had organized for them. 

"And don’t eat anything" Danny called after him. "I don’t want to get you another shirt in the last moment."

"You shouldn’t talk to your grandfather like that" Kurt said when they were left alone.

"He knows that I only want the best for you" Danny said. "Besides, I wanted a moment alone with you before we join the others."

"Me too" Kurt said. "I would like to thank you for everything you have done. This is wonderful, Danny."

"You deserve the best" Danny said. "So are you ready?"

"I guess so" Kurt nodded. "Although I’m really nervous. I know it’s stupid but I’m worried that Blaine might change his mind."

"That’s funny because he’s worrying about the same" Danny said.

"Did you talk to him?" Kurt asked.

"Of course. He’s perfectly ready, by the way. He can’t wait to marry you" Danny said.

Kurt smiled at that. He couldn’t wait to marry Blaine either. 

"I’m so happy for you, guys" Danny said and stepped to Kurt to hug him briefly. "Alright, it’s time to go. Are you ready?"

"Absolutely" Kurt said.

~ o ~

The room was beautifully decorated, the band was playing light music in the background, all of their friends were there, as well as their families. Okay, not Blaine’s, not he would have been surprised to see his parents there. It would have been weird after not seeing each other for so many years. He didn’t mind, though. He knew his father well enough to know that he would have ruined this day and that was what he didn’t need at all. He knew how much Danny had worked to make this day unforgettable for them. Blaine was rather proud of him. They hadn’t asked Danny to take such a huge part of the wedding planning but the boy had been so excited, so they had allowed him to be in charge in the end. Danny didn’t let them down, not at all. As Blaine looked around, he silently admitted himself that they couldn’t have done a better job themselves. 

He took a deep breath and looked at Jeff who was standing beside him. He definitely needed his friend’s support right now. Although he was perfectly sure that he wanted to marry Kurt, he was so nervous for some reason. It was insane. He had always believed that a piece of paper wouldn’t change anything, but still… He felt deep inside that something magical would happen when they said yes. Well, if Kurt didn’t change his mind and agreed to be his husband. Blaine was scared that Kurt might run away in the last moment. It was insane but still possible. Damn, he wouldn’t survive that. If Kurt decided to all it off in the last second, he would die right here in front of everyone, that was sure.

"Hey, breath" Jeff whispered into his ear.

"He should be here" Blaine said nervously.

"Be patient" Jeff smiled. "Look. There he is."

Blaine looked up just in time to see Kurt and Rachel walk through the door. Rachel was beautiful in her deep red dress but Blaine didn’t see her at all. Or everyone else in the room. Because there was Kurt, the man he loved, and he looked even more perfect than usually if it was possible. The black tux he was wearing looked perfect on him, his hair was perfectly styled and that smile on his face… There was no other word to express Kurt’s look. He was perfect.

Blaine reminded himself to breath as Kurt slowly made his way to him and after giving Rachel a kiss on the cheek, he took his place beside Blaine. He smiled at him and reached for Blaine’s hands. Blaine didn’t ask a question. He reached out and grabbed Kurt’s hands.

They looked up for a brief moment as they heard someone rush towards them and smiled as Danny made his way through the room and then stopped beside them. Kurt raised an eyebrow as he looked at his son who tried to slow down his breathing.

"Trouble in the bathroom" Danny explained. "Don’t worry, I took care of it."

Kurt opened his mouth to say something but Danny wasn’t paying attention. He checked the time on his phone and looked around impatiently. When his eyes found his grandfather, he motioned him that it was time to take his place. Kurt glanced at his father, smiling. His son reminded him on his own young self when he had organized Burt and Carole’s wedding. He could tell that his father was thinking the same. Burt stepped forward and waited for the music to end. Then he looked at the men standing in front of him and at the guests watching them.

"This is a very important day in our family’s life" Burt started. "When these men asked me to officiate their wedding, I said yes without hesitation. How could I have said no when it was about my sons? That’s right. Ever since Kurt brought Blaine to Lima the first time, I knew that he belonged. He’s been part of our family since that day, way before the two of them decided to step on the path of marriage."

Burt seemed to be close to tears, so Danny quickly pulled out a tissue and pressed it into his grandfather’s hand.

"Thank you" Burt said. "The day when our children get married is probably the happiest one of our lives. I have been lucky to be there on the way that led Kurt and Blaine here. I know that it wasn’t always easy for them but their love helped them through everything. And I know for sure that whatever they have to face in the future, they’ll always be there for each other."

Burt took a deep breath, fighting off the urge to pull Kurt and Blaine into a hug. He was so proud of them but he also knew that the time wasn’t right. He had so much to do.

"Since our young wedding planner reminded me that some of the audience wouldn’t be able to sit through a longer ceremony…" They all looked at Jeff and Nick’s triplets for a brief moment. "...I think it’s time for the vows."

Kurt took his note from Rachel and smiled at Blaine. He had a lot of work in this, he hoped that Blaine would like what he wanted to say.

"Blaine" he started. "I can only repeat my father’s words. Ever since I met you, I know that you belong to this family. We met under quite unusual circumstances…"

Jeff turned away because he had to laugh and he was pretty sure that none of his friends would appreciate it if he ruined their wedding. Or let Burt know that his innocent little son wasn’t that innocent after all. Kurt stopped for a moment and glanced at him but quickly turned back to Blaine.

"These ten years weren’t always easy for us, but I learned that I can always trust you. You accepted me with all of my burdens and mistakes, you’ve proved that no matter what happens, you’ll never stop loving me."

He took a deep breath. There was so much he wanted to say but he knew that Blaine knew him completely. He knew how Kurt felt.

"I love you" he said in the end. "And I can’t wait to continue this wonderful journey with you. As your husband."

It was Blaine’s turn and he was nervous. He had spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to say. It was easy when it was just the two of them and he could say ‘I love you’ as much as he wanted but that wasn’t enough here. He wished he could sing a song, that would make everything so much easier.

"I’m not the man of words. It’s not easy to talk about my feelings, especially since my feelings for you are so strong that words can’t describe them" Blaine started. "To be honest, I think these ten years we’ve spent together were wonderful. Yes, we’ve seen a lot. We’ve faced our fears so many times but we’ve always been there for each other. I’ve changed so much since being with you. I was lost when I met you but you brought light into my life and showed me that there was happiness for me, too. I couldn’t be the man I am now without you, Kurt. You are my other half that makes me complete. I love you and I’ll never stop loving you."

Burt smiled as he stepped forward again. 

"Do you, Kurt Hummel" he started as he turned to his son. "Take this man to be your wedded husband?"

"I do" Kurt said without hesitation.

"And you, Blaine Anderson" Burt turned to Blaine next. "Do you take this man to be your wedded husband?"

"I do" Blaine said before Burt could get to the end of his line.

"May I have the rings, please?" Burt asked Rachel and Jeff.

The two stepped forward and pressed the rings into their friends’ hands. 

"I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you" Kurt said as he took Blaine’s hand. Once the ring took its place, Kurt smiled again. It fitted Blaine perfectly.

"I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you" Blaine said next and placed the ring on Kurt’s finger with practiced ease. 

Burt put his hands on Blaine and Kurt’s shoulders, smiling at them proudly.

"By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss each other."

That was something he didn’t have to say again. Once Burt stopped talking, the two men finalized their commitment with the most perfect kiss.

"We are married" Kurt said when he pulled away in the end, barely hearing his own words through the loud clapping in the background.

"We definitely are" Blaine smiled.

"Let me be the first one to congratulate" Danny said as he stepped froward and hugged both men. "I’m so proud of you!"

"Seriously?" Kurt asked.

"Of course" Danny said. "It’s a huge step and you finally gathered your courage to take it. I’m so happy for you two!"

Kurt shook his head but he couldn’t stop smiling. He had thought that a wedding wouldn’t change their relationship, not after so many years. But he had been wrong. They barely started their new lives, he already felt that something was different. Their connection was stronger than ever, if it was possible. 

"You seem to be lost in your thoughts" Blaine pointed out.

"I’m just thinking about the wonderful future waiting for us" Kurt said.

"You can feel it, too" Blaine said knowingly.

"I do" Kurt nodded.

"Well, husband" Blaine said. "I think it’s time to start that beautiful new journey you promised me. With a lot less trouble this time, if it’s possible."

"Of course" Kurt said. "A lot less trouble this time."


End file.
